Album review: Defences – Shadowlight

Whether it’s Architects establishing themselves as fully-fledged festival headliners, Spiritbox continuing to break new ground, or Bad Omens becoming one of the hottest bands in alternative music, no matter where you look, metalcore is in fine shape right now. Hertfordshire quintet Defences are part of a newer wave looking to emulate the success of the genre’s biggest names, and while third LP Shadowlight isn’t quite up to the standard of the heavy-hitters, it’s a record teeming with promise.

The vocals of Cherry Duesbury and fellow vocalist/keyboardist William Young are a real strength of Shadowlight, with the vocal dexterity on The Curse illuminating the song’s powerful riffs, while the gorgeous cleans on Silence & The Sound are another standout. There’s plenty of strong stuff on display across this album, from the Architects-esque power of Breathe It In to the potency of Perish, whose accomplished blend of catchiness and aggression strikes the kind of balance all good metalcore should.

Gold In The Dark is another fine moment, as is the punchiness of The Almost, but the track that piques the most interest is Inspirit. A welcome change of pace, Defences take their foot off the gas, demonstrating their ability to handle material that is slower and more serene. Going forwards, it’s a facet of their sound they should lean into more.

There’s no decisive knockout moment from Defences here that suggests crossover success is imminent, but what they do comfortably demonstrate across Shadowlight is their ability to pen forceful modern metal. Continue to push themselves and reach for something bigger, and these guys could yet become metalcore’s newest defenders.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Architects, Spiritbox, Wage War

Shadowlight is released on November 8 via Long Branch.