There is an obvious appeal to drawing upon multiple sub-genres for today’s extreme metal artists, and an equally obvious risk. It’s easy to create an incoherent mess that doesn’t do anything well. Do it right though, and you can create a Rorschach test. Is it black metal? Post metal? Prog metal? Whatever listeners love to hear, they can find it there. That is what Poland’s Defying have done with Wadera, a horror film inspired concept album about revenge from beyond the grave. They have taken that array of influences and turned it into something that is both utterly cohesive yet wears its influences so openly it could be seen as fitting inside any of its component genres.
The overall effect is dark, brooding, and impressive. Defying major in the slow build from contemplative quiet to abrasive fury, and do an excellent job of crafting lengthy songs that don’t meander or lose interest while doing so. The Stępiński-Stadniczenko guitar duo do an excellent job of conveying the many moods of the story here, from mournful melody to snarling aggression. Tomasz Semeniuk’s drumming is tastefully supportive during the slower parts and propulsive when things speed up. The production doesn’t put Paweł Siemaszko’s bass into a very central role, and the occasional use of zithers or horns mostly passes me by, but I can live with these small flaws.
Wadera’s hour-long play time zips by. It took me multiple listens to realize it was even that long, which is testament to the quality shown here. Defying have taken a dozen ideas and turned it into one single piece of darkly epic metal that draws you right into its tale. Anyone who loves the component parts of Defying’s sound should give Wadera a chance to draw them them in as well.
