Sweden's Defleshed have been around the thrash/death metal scene since the early 1990's, but for the most part are virtually unknown here in the US. That hopefully is about to change with the release of Reclaim the Beat on Candlelight Records, a solid concoction of Swedish death metal ala early In Flames, but with just enough thrash firepower that will remind you of Kreator. These guys have a pretty big sound that is fairly technical, and the fact that they create this with only three members is pretty astounding. Drummer Matte Modin is all over the place, and his thunderous and complex drum work propels songs like "Bulldozed (Back to Basic)" and "Abstinence for Turbulence" to new heights of metal might. Singer/bassist Gustaf Jorde has a perfect thrash voice, and opts for the high pitched thrash/black metal screams rather than the low-gutteral grunts that many death metal singers favor. Of course, we can't forget about the thick crunchy riffs from Lars Löfven-check out his wall of sound on "Under Destruction", a pummeling piece fueled by his ultra heavy & speedy riffs.
Reclaim the Beat is sure to be a hit with the extreme metal audience, and there's plenty of intricate playing here to please those into more progressive sounds. Although by the end of the CD many of the songs tend to start sounding alike, there are plenty of strong tunes to recommend here, especially to fans of In Flames, Kreator, Nightrage, Meshuggah, and Hypocrisy.
Track list
01. Stripped to the Bone
02. Abstinence for Turbulence
03. Chain Reaction
04. Bulldozed (Back to Basic)
05. Under Destruction
06. Grind and Rewind
07. Reclaim the Beat
08. Red Hot
09. May the Flesh be with You
10. Ignorance is Bliss
11. Aggroculture
12. Over and Out