Country: Japan
Genre: OSDM / Death Metal / Grind‑tinged Brutality
For fans of: Autopsy, Hate Eternal, Cryptopsy
Release: 2026
Review
Defiled are one of the cornerstones of the Japanese death metal scene. From 1992 to today they have built a sound that imitates no one: raw, dirty, with that Autopsy‑like sense of decomposition that makes them instantly recognizable. Altered State, their ninth album, continues exactly from where we loved them — but with an even more suffocating, more “underground” production.
The album is full of muffled tremolo riffs, violent blastbeats, grind outbursts, and those muddy mid‑tempo moments where the guitar sounds like it’s dripping filth. Defiled play with rhythmic shifts that keep the listener alert: rolls, turnovers, d‑beats, thrashy passages, and chunky palm‑muted grooves that hit straight at the neck.
The mix leaves room for the bass to breathe — something rare in OSDM — and this gives the album a raw, organic feel. There are also sick harmonies, small doses of doom, a few thrash‑slides, and an unexpected jazzy bass harmony that could be developed even further. The solos are short, atmospheric, full of dive bombs and tremolo voices, like screams inside a dark cave.
“Zombified” has some of the most infectious vocal lines, while “Lunatics” is clearly the highlight: bouncy grooves, bass noodles, thrashy riffs, sick breakdowns, and a small chaotic lead that gives character. Shinichiro uses hardcore‑style shouty growls, giving the album a more violent, street‑level energy.
Altered State is dirty, raw, full of character and absolutely true to Defiled’s DNA. If you want death metal that smells of damp, mud and decomposition, this album is for you.
Tracklist
- Tracklist
- Dazed in Blindness – 02:59
- Altered State – 03:04
- Obsession – 03:03
- Portal – 03:39
- Necro‑Force – 02:31
- The Degradation – 03:52
- Genocidal Stage – 02:26
- Metamorphosis of Evil – 03:10
- The Ultra Death – 02:42
- Zombified – 02:17
- Lunatics – 03:07
- Prophecies – 03:28
- Demolition – 03:24
- Apocalyptic End – 03:24
Rating
8.4/10
