Defocus — In the Eye of Death We Are All the Same

Defocus

In the Eye of Death We Are All the Same

by Shea Higgerson at 01 September 2021, 9:19 PM

DEFOCUS bursts onto the scene with a banger of a metalcore album upon the release of their heavy, aggressive, and dark “In the Eye of Death We Are All the Same.” The typical metalcore tropes can be heard throughout this album and it will surely be a hit for fans of bands like FIT FOR A KING, NORMA JEAN, or ARCHITECTS. It’s an enjoyable album and a great effort for their first record. Even though it’s very reminiscent of the metalcore already in the scene, they manage to keep the album from becoming boring and too repetitive. The first song that really caught my attention was the third one “Immerse.” The main thing I really like about this song is the clean vocals that sound really far off and melancholic, kind of like someone deep in the water drowning — something that fits with the title of the song. I think the song is written beautifully.

A standout song on the album is “Common Grave,” which holds the album's title in its lyrics. Vocalist Simon Müller shows in this song that he can make his voice much deeper, much more death metal, and I really dug the change up. I just love that the term “common grave” and the title of the album itself express the sentiment that everyone is the same once they’re dead and buried. “Diverge” featuring guest vocalist Tomm Bruemmer is another song on the album that is particularly energetic and catchy. It’s an interesting move to put a guest vocalist on a debut album, but it works and it adds some more excitement to an already solid album. I love the lyrical delivery in the chorus of“Disease.” This is possibly their most aggressive track and it’s definitely one that deserves a mosh pit. This song is everything a metalcore song should be. By the time the final song “Shelter” was ending I couldn’t believe the album was already over. It’s an awesome metalcore album and I enjoyed listening to it. There isn’t anything bad about this album, but there isn’t a lot that makes it special or makes it stand out from the rest of the metalcore being put out into the world. This album will definitely catch the interest of fans of the genre, but maybe not the excitement.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 6
Production: 8