Anomaly by The Defaced
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Release date : June 2008
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
Featuring members of Darkane, Constructdead, Terror 2000, and Kayser, The Defaced return with their third album, Anomaly. The revived supergroup has signed with Scarlet Records for the new album and, in my humble opinion, Scarlet have struck gold as Anomaly is a career defining album for this band and certainly better than the members' main bands output over the last few years.
Anomaly immediately sets out to destroy you with the melodic, anthemic, and pummeling sound of “Remaining Eternal” and “Flame to Life.” Both give ample reason to remember why Domination Commence and Karma In Black impressed us so much. “The Perfect Shame” and “The Test” match them pace for pace, with the former tinging itself with some more melodic vocal parts here and there and the latter experimenting a bit briefly in the mid-song. The Defaced have lost none of their fangs, in fact they have sharpened them significantly during their time away.
The most striking moments here though are when the band “mellow out” (and I use that term loosely). I’m a little surprised I’m saying this, but Anomaly offers up some more alternative hard rock / metal tracks and they really add a lot to the dynamics of the album. The flat-out rock sound of “Renewal Defined” is the highlight of the record as far as I’m concerned. It explodes in all the right places and could easily find a welcome home at rock radio outlets. Beyond that though, it’s just a really, really good song. The slightly more experimental but wildly catchy “The Fundamental Human Neurosis” is another excellent example of just how accessible The Defaced can be without losing an ounce of integrity.
Overall, I absolutely love this album. Maybe less open-minded fans of the band could find some moments here that stick in their craw but those simply expecting the band to put out a record full of great songs will be well-pleased with Anomaly. The Defaced are a great band that has gone under the radar for far too long.
