True Defiance

About

Never a band to stray from its tried-and-true blueprint of bludgeoning Christian metal, Seattle’s Demon Hunter expands on its formula, making its sixth studio album both familiar and surprising. “Crucifix” teases listeners with scratchy, lo-fi thrash metal before cranking the volume (and production values) to purge one hell of a heaven-themed opener. Ryan Clark’s vocal control here is amazing: he relentlessly howls crazed guttural screaming into fast, phrased verses that can stop and turn on a dime. By the second song, “God Forsaken,” it’s evident that <i>True Defiance</i> is the quintet’s most aggressive album yet. Clark juxtaposes larynx-shredding screams that recall Ministry’s “Burning Inside” before pulling a Jekyll-and-Hyde duality with clean-toned croons that tower above his band’s sonic maelstrom. This polarity is even more contrasted in “My Destiny,” where the intelligible singing casts a melodic net of grappling hooks. Of course, no Demon Hunter album would be complete without a token ballad; “Tomorrow Never Comes” delivers in spades.

via Apple Music

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