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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Album Review: "The Last Defence" by Keitzer

The Last Defence
Formed in 1999, this German band has been blasting beats for a long time.

They're compared to other brutal metal acts like early Deicide, Misery Index, and Marduk.

I'm really only familiar with the legendary Deicide in that list, so I cannot comment on the other two and how Keitzer compares.

I suppose that might take my metal cred down a notch?

Over the last fifteen years Keitzer has had a steady stream of albums and Split EPs. The Last Defence is their fifth full length album and their first since the wild days of 2011's release Descend Into Heresy. Even fifteen years on, Keitzer just cannot calm down.



Keitzer
The email I received referred to this group as blast beat lunatics and this is one of the most apt descriptions I've ever seen in a presser.

The drums are full on and forceful showing such power. What was conspicuous was the drum and guitar interplay.

In what's becoming more of a convention, when a guitar chugs out a blasting riff, drummers are now beating the skins to the same rhythm.

It always brings me back to a quote from Aerosmith biography, Led Zeppelin sounds great because they're playing the same notes (paraphrase). This certainly adds a sonic boom quality to the riffs and an extra gut punch to the guitars' fullness.

The guitars are full, rusty, and thick. There are some great melody lines and varied parts. There were even sitar inspired melodies. The rhythms went back and forth between machine gun riffs and chords as thick as the earth's crust.

The chords though...they wail in away most metal music does not, and I do not mean in slang. There's a melancholy that's underneath the anger that's beautiful and moving.

The vocals are a two tiered delivery which add great variance and keep it interesting. The production quality is also laudable. The mix was perfect and the tones and sounds were impeccable.

This is a spectacularly crafted album album by a veteran band who's formed a style and sound who can still bring it fifteen years after forming.

This is one of the best metal records of 2014.

Release: 7/18/14
Genre: Metal, Death Metal
Label: FDA Rekotz
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