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Thus Defiled
Weeping Holocaust Tears
(Shadowflame)
KKKK (4/5)
An eruption of inspired evil from UK metal’s misanthropic underbelly.
A decade into a steadfastly self financed and resolutely shadowy career, Worthing’s
Thus Defiled have finally nailed their gruesome and distinctive sound. In many
ways the band peddle traditional Black Metal, but it is the relentless barrage
of freewheeling guitar solos and mid-paced, clawhammer-blow ferocity that lifts
this firmly into the realms of the exceptional.
From the ominous, macabre overture of “Awakened by My Summoning”
through to the overwhelming, bleak psychadelia of “Fire Serpent Dawn”,
this is an overwhelming onslaught of vile, black-hearted majesty. The fact is,
Thus Defiled are supreme masters of the UK’s Black Metal underground,
and “Weeping Holocaust Tears” should facilitate some long overdue
recognition.
Worship them now, before the Ancient Ones return to claim their blackened souls.
Dom Lawson
Still believe that there are no decent homegrown extreme metal bands to speak
of? Well, meet Thus Defiled, a four piece from West Sussex that specialize in
what the highly impressed ex Sabbat / Skyclad singer Martin Walkyer recently
called “pure razor edged black metal. Thus Defiled have existed for more
than a decade, supporting the likes of Cradle of Filth, Dissection, Immolation
and Cannibal Corpse. It certainly shows.
Released via their own label, the band’s first album in six years deserves
far wider exposure.
The contributions of guitarists Paul C and Paul F is central to “When
Seduction Brings Forth Damnation” and “Spiritual Abduction”.
The pair solo like old-skool bastards amid material that’s charged –
or should that be charred? – with unremitting static electricity.
Thomas Crabtree [8/10]
THUS DEFILED
The Underworld, London
1.11.04
KKKKK (5/5)
British black metal retakes the capital.
"We're going to take over the world" laughs Paul Carter, relaxing backstage. Pausing to take a swig of his beer, a smirk crosses the Thus Defiled founder's face. "And if the world doesn't like it they can fuck right off."
Just moments before Immemorial's death metal furies were laying waste to the venue. But if they seem a tough act to follow, Thus Defiled aren't following anyone.
The lights go down, the horns go up, and without missing a beat Carter and
company stroll out and unceremoniously proceed to bludgeon the heaving throng
with the wrathful volley of 'Spiritual Abduction'. The sound is torrential,
owing largely to Nick L's
mighty percussive hammering. Rob V's thundering bass lines are matched by the
piercing, supersonic howl of Paul F's guitar virtuosity. But Paul Carter's overpowering
primal screams lay waste to the volume dials, making everything that's come
before - both tonight and in years past - pale in comparison. The deafening
death-grunting cheers shuddering the Underworld speak in one voice tonight.
Thus Defiled conquer, and the world can fuck right off.
ALEXANDER MILAS
Thus Defiled
Weeping Holocaust Tears
Shadow Flame Productions
If you were to look up the word “tenacity” in the dictionary you might find a picture of these grim-faced, UK black metallers staring a hole a right back through you. For over a decade Thus Defiled have been lurking around black metal’s dark corners like a thrill seeking arsonist quietly trying to set fire to the building with a box of matches and a can of kerosine.
Grimly refusing label offers, taking the black metal ethic to the extreme and
going it alone, the band’s tenacity has seemingly paid off when the band
got voted Best Unsigned Band of 2002 in these hallowed pages after putting out
the superb promo ‘Fire SerpentDawn’. ‘Nuff history, so what
about now?
Releasing their new album on guitarist/vocalist Paul C.’s own label, sees
the band notching things right up with ‘Weeping Holocaust Tears’,
putting Thus Defiled in the ‘Best UK Black Metal band' category with their
unique style that blends NWOBHM structures with raw, fast and vicious riffing-and
the guitar solos! Boy, the album is loaded with them and not boring or pointless
either. Classy, classy playing that screams that quintessentially British “fuck
you!!” attitude-rather along the lines of being kneed in the bollocks,
then head butted in the face as you fall to the ground.
So if the new Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir disappointed and you crave something more meaty then you might wanna try this. And speaking of COF for me, this album seems to invoke the spirit of ‘Vempire’- by far my favourite COF release-especially on ‘The Crimson Tears of a Dying Age’, which shows that despite the bands longevity they can hang with the big boys by turning up the speed and intensity. And then on the majestic 17 plus minute ‘(Angelblood) The Tears of an Age Now Dead’ where the band show they have maturity and discipline never allowing the tempo to become over indulgent, with deftness, dexterity and skill to create such a piece which rekindles that same grand, dark, fangs bared, snarling spirit shown on ‘Vempire’.
However, even after repeated spins there is one thing that niggles me and it
has nowt to do with the material contained herein-its just there is something
missing. That one spark of charisma or confidence that lifts this from the status
of being a really good album to that of being great. And there is what the problem
is: With ‘Weeping...’ Thus Defiled in my opinion have reached that
glass ceiling which divides the really good from the great, and the one question
that won’t go away is: can they break through and become a great band?
This album screams “cross roads!!” and “where now??”
at me and after all the years of persistence I only hope that the same tenacity
will once again carry the band through.
Stuart Banks [8]
DEATH COMMANDO FEST
London, Camden Underworld – 11/01/04
So another year begins and, somewhat unsurprisingly, I find myself spending an entire day in the subterranean gloom of the Underworld yet again. That might sound like I’m moaning but the truth is I bloody love it…
Things kicked off with the high impact grind of Brainchoke. Tracks like ‘The Search’, ‘Reality Detachment’ and the highly impressive new number ‘Brainwashing The Matriarch’ are all short, sharp, shocks of tight, powerful blasting. Yet despite their brevity each number manages to incorporate a little touch of variation; something a touch jazzy, an interesting rhythm change… There’s no chance of getting bored listening to these guys. If there were criticisms to be levelled at Brainchoke it would be their perhaps too obvious debt to the works of Napalm Death and their rather casual approach to live performance. However, blessed as they were with a pleasingly powerful sound, this was a very enjoyable beginning to proceedings.
The very young looking Acolyte’s Ruin were up next, with their fast and furious black metal assault. Whilst they had nothing particularly new or original to offer they did demonstrate a fair degree of craft and talent, which bodes well for their future development. A song so new it had yet to be given a name showed that that future development won’t include slowing down or selling out, as all the appropriate savagery remained present and correct. So, no new tricks in the repertoire, but an effective and enjoyable presentation of all the old favourites. One of Emperor’s many children, but not one of which they need be ashamed.
Now, at this point I had been hoping to see those marvellous Polish thrashers Hell-Born, but sadly, for undisclosed reasons, the purveyors of ‘Hell Fuckin’ Metal’ were not present. Instead we got Luna Ad Noctim…
The band looked mightily professional, with their corpse paint very neatly applied. The intro tape was huge and very impressive. Was I about to witness something special from this unknown band? In short, no. The sound had deteriorated into a bass heavy mess that vibrated the internal organs without impressing, but even with a crystal clear mix I doubt that the Luna Ad Noctim experience would have been much more pleasurable. There was plenty of venom in tracks like ‘Devotion And Sin’ and their professional approach was laudable, but there was just no quality to back it up. After three tracks I could feel myself gritting my teeth and trying to hang in there but it was just horrible. Ultimately a boring mess that failed to compensate for the absence of Hell-Born in any way.
At least in the case of Immemorial I had no expectations of them being good. We have crossed paths before and I have never liked anything about them. There is a base appeal to some of the riffing and they’re sort of ok if you deliberately avoid applying any sort of quality control, but that’s about it. With no finesse, no panache and nothing special about them, Immemorial are just a poor band…but that of course is just my opinion.
Luckily Thus Defiled were on hand to get things back on track. Their blistering black metal is nothing short of a revelation. Exceptional musicianship and real song craft melded into the purest black metal assault. The importance of actual song writing is never forgotten even when the band are blasting at the most extreme tempos. Quite simply Thus Defiled are the finest black metal band that this country has to offer, excepting the mighty Venom. If you want black metal that still retains the melodic sensibilities of pure heavy metal, without sacrificing one iota of fire and fury, then look no further. Utterly irresistible, this band deserve to be huge. Go out and make it so.
Centinex were left with the task of finishing the night and, while they were never going to top the superb Thus Defiled performance, they certainly didn’t let anyone down. Centinex deal in ripping Swedish death metal and they are pretty damn good at it. It’s incredible that a band of this quality, performing such a popular brand of metal, should have such a low media profile. They may not be Arch Enemy or Dismember but they are a fine outfit with some wicked headbanging inducing songs in their repertoire. The songs aired tonight from the soon to be released ‘Prophecies Of Cosmic Chaos’ suggest that that album will be a sound investment for anyone who’s a sucker for this brutal but melodic death metal style. A satisfyingly brutal end to another day of quality metal at the Underworld.
POWERPOINTS: 6
CHRIS KEE