Firstly, that wacky artwork should immediately get you geared up for the outlandish and madcap ride ahead. Though very reminiscent of the “Asylum Cave” cover art by Benighted, it peaks interest in what lies in the musicality of Defect Designer. Consisting of members from Diskord, Defect Designer are reinterpreting death metal in their own way, adding dring influences and a maniacal fervour to it all. The band has dropped their newest album "Neanderthal" via Transcending Obscurity Records, and I can't wait to share my thoughts on it.
Defect Designer has woven together some acts of insanity - the main thread of it being Grindcore while combining elements of death, punk, hardcore, and even thrash. Their unhinged approach amalgamated with the ferocity of various genres has resulted in the formation of such insanity. Unpredictable to its core, “Neanderthal” is as barbaric as it can musically be. Wacky and gnarly guitar riffs with lots of dissonance on top accompanied by blasting drums - the record is groovy but does not shy away to play around with dynamic shifts, tempo changes, and insert neoclassical, blues, or jazzy parts.
To dissect any specific track would be futile since “Neanderthal” needs you to be lost within the cesspool of chaos and mayhem to vividly experience over and over again and discover strange new things. Though being only 18 minutes of runtime, the performances are top-notch, as can be expected when there are multiple members of the caliber of Diskord on the record. Tracks like “Wrinkles” and “Piggty” are some of my absolute favorites.
“Neanderthal” is a swirling vortex of chaos, unpredictability, and insanity. You might get over Defect Designer, but Defect Designer will stay in your mind for a long time.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Website: Defect Designer Facebook
Genre: Death Metal/Grindcore
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Worldwide Release: July 8th, 2022.
