This album was released on May 10^th, 2019 on Epitaph Records.

The self-titled record is always the one spot in a band’s discography that’s examined the most. Typically, when a self-titled record is announced, the media props up the notion of the music being the artist’s magnum opus, the defining moment in their careers. We saw this with Being as an Ocean, which didn’t sit well with fans to the point that the melodic hardcore band doesn’t play anything from that album live, save “Little Richie” and “Sleeping Sicarii”. On the contrary, you have albums like Slipknot that get consistent praise for being diverse, original, and most importantly, a microcosm of the band themselves. When Defeater announced their new album, opting not to give it a separate title from their namesake, it was clear that this record was going to be under the magnifying glass more than their other releases. It’s safe to say that they delivered some of their best music yet, though not without its faults.

Jay Maas leaving the band left a lot of doubt in the heads of the band’s fans, what with the already lukewarm reviews to their previous album Abandoned. Then, the news came out that the production for Defeater was going to be helmed by Will Yip, another sign of skepticism in the eyes of the public, as Yip has been known for laying vocal tracks within the instruments. With the storytelling aspect of the lyrics such an integral part to the band, this spelt disaster. When “Mothers’ Sons” dropped, the doubt went away, and we were treated to a wonderful return to the hardcore roots that we’ve become accustomed to. However, as the rest of the singles came out and the fans were treated to more and more music, it became evident that the fears in production came to fruition. The vocal tracks are so far back in the final mix that it almost creates a chore to decipher what Derek Archambault is howling in the microphone. “Mothers’ Sons” seemed to be an outlier in the final cut regarding the vocal mix, and even then, it isn’t crystal clear.

I will give credit where credit is due though. Yip’s multi-layered approach to his mixes may be the subject of controversy in the eyes of the fans, but from a purely instrumental standpoint, the record sounds phenomenal. The guitar feedback that you can hear in some of the songs’ sullen moments adds to the intensity of the record. This is especially evident in “Desperate” and “Hourglass”, where the music takes a break from the onslaught received from the past four tracks to add to the overall gloom of the record. The music is still just as fast-paced as ever, and despite being darker than the previous albums, it still carries that signature Defeater sound.

Now, as I mentioned before, Defeater stands out from most of the other bands in the hardcore sphere due to their ability to continue the story of our WWII Glass family and the characters we’ve come to know, love, hate, and love again. The interspersing points of view from the priest (from Abandoned) and the dad’s brother (the protagonist of this album) bring new and exciting turns to the story and the connections that the band has crafted since 2008. Archambault’s lyricism continues to stand out on top of the hardcore vocalist spectrum, and despite the troubles with the mix, sounds just as boisterous and passionate as ever.

If it wasn’t for the poor vocal mix, this album would be near perfection, as most Defeater albums have been for me. The story has been one of my favorite subjects to keep up with, and with a new set of songs that add to the weaving tales of all the characters involved, internet forums will be ablaze deciphering every detail that is hidden in the lyrics. It truly is some of Defeater’s best music: gloomy instrumentals, frenetic guitarwork, pummeling drums. It is their namesake, and has summed up their career well amid the mishaps.

Rating: 8/10

Favorite Songs: “Mothers’ Sons”, “Dealer / Debtor”, “No Guilt”