Darkened – Defilers of the Light

Formed in 2018, Darkened are a Death Metal band with a very dark nature and approach who have been quite busy cranking out releases since 2019 onwards. With three EPs and three full-lengths and a bunch of singles in between, this brings us to their latest uncanny offering titled ‘Defilers of the Light’.

Upon hearing out this new and divine offering from Darkened, one will notice that a signature melancholy cloud still hangs over this Death Metal beast without a doubt. This is created from an eerie and dark atmosphere from both crunchy and catchy guitar riffs that are accompanied by haunting leads and harmonies that do tell a ghastly story as the songs proceed. All together, a unique and driving-like force narrates a mood of despair throughout. The mode here hints on a bit like some of the older classic Death Metal predecessors with the heavier tones of Bolt Thrower and the darker and haunting sounds of Hypocrisy a la ‘The Four Dimension’ era onwards.

Going further with more of the elements within this album, small pieces of a heavy Death/Thrash style will surface at times as heard in some of the songs like ‘In Praise of Shadows’ and ‘On We Slaughter.’ In other areas, slower segments within some of the songs will come across as a morbid theatrical feeling which prepares you for what devastation is about to come. From there, this can either break into a charging faster part of a classic Death Metal style or it can further develop on what it is and bring the overall mood out more thus increasing the intensity.

Thoughts that come to mind for ‘Defilers of the Light’ are something of a crisp and precise representation with a darkly ladened essence of aggression and death that takes you through a twisted mental labyrinth of a melancholic nature. You can’t go wrong with that.