Death-thrash so relentless I briefly disassociated.
258 days till W:O:A 2023.
And apparently I’m spending it getting sonically steamrolled by Swedish death-thrash.
They were on the list
Defleshed are a death-thrash band out of Sweden, led by guitarist Lars Löfven, vocalist/bassist Gustaf Jorde, and drummer Matte Modin. They started in 1991, made a name for themselves across five albums, then disbanded in 2005 due to—frankly—the best reason ever: lack of inspiration.
In 2021, the inspiration returned. They planned to record a couple of songs. Then momentum took over. Now here we are with a full-length comeback album: Grind Over Matter.
Zero Chill, Zero Melody, All Riffs
The eponymous track hits second on the album and clocks in at just under three minutes. It is, in essence, a controlled detonation. Blazing fast, mechanically tight, aggressively aggressive. No intro. No easing in. Just war.
Jorde’s vocals are a harsh blend of death and thrash stylings. Modin blasts away like he’s drumming for his life. Löfven, meanwhile, delivers riff after riff like he’s feeding them through a meat grinder. Technically? Excellent. Emotionally? I felt nothing.
The album runs 34 minutes across 11 tracks, and honestly, that’s generous. The experience is a wall-to-wall barrage of machine-gun chugs and blastbeats with zero breathing room. There are no melodies, no solos, no choruses. No mercy.
Is It Good? Objectively, Yes. Do I Want to Hear It Again? Not Really.
Every song is fast. Every riff is thick and chuggy. The production is tight and polished. If you want relentless, Defleshed delivers. But as someone who occasionally likes a groove or a melody to grab onto, I found it repetitive.
Most tracks blend together into one sustained assault. There’s not much dynamic range. And once you’ve heard one two-minute blast of rage, you’ve kind of heard them all.
That said, two tracks managed to pull my attention out from under the avalanche:
- Behind Dead Eyes slows things down (relatively speaking) and offers a bit more groove.
-
Dear Devil gets points for the line: "...and please don’t feed me bacon, I try to stay on diet."
Which—sure. Why not.
Verdict: Not for Me, But Not Bad
Defleshed have proven they can still do what they were doing nearly two decades ago. They chug. They blast. They rip. And they do it well. But if you’re looking for melody, hooks, or anything that resembles restraint, this isn’t your album.
This wasn’t an emotional experience. This was a sonic workout.
And I didn’t even get the endorphins.