Review: Nightbearer – Defiance
Nightbearer’s “Defiance” feels like the roar of chainsaws in a cathedral, violent and reverent both. This is their third full-length, and it carries the weight of their growth: the HM-2 fury of old Swedish death metal, soaked in atmosphere, suffused with literary ambition, sharpened by passages of doom and blackened haze that push them beyond mere nostalgia.
The album starts with “Dust,” a fragile, quiet intro that lulls before dragging you into “His Dark Materials,” where the real livestock of “Defiance” begin to bleed. From there Nightbearer blaze through tracks that mix murderous riffs, blazing solos, and choruses that feel epic without descending into over-grandiosity. “One Church Over All” isa rallying cry, while “Under the Sun Of War” and especially “Ascension” show the band’s range: they can crush and they can breathe, build tension as well as deliver savagery. The nine-minute “Ascension” is arguably the high point: it’s patient, multi-sectioned, poised between beautiful dissonance and full-on assault, the kind of track that demands attentive listening.
Nightbearer don’t hide behind gore or bloodshed; instead they explore oppression, dogma, scientific inquiry, religious hypocrisy. The narrative dimension works well in tandem with the music: guitar leads and atmospheric touches underscore the tension between rebellion and hopelessness. The band’s sharpened songwriting shows especially in the way lead guitars weave through the HM-2 wall, the solos that don’t feel indulgent, and the way transitions between speed, melody, and doom don’t feels organic.
Production is strong. The mix balances rawness and clarity: the guitars still snarl, drums hit hard, bass underlies the heaviness without being buried, and the atmospheric and cleaner passages breathe in the spaces. There are moments where the clarity could be improved — vocals sometimes edge toward too buried under distortion, certain heavy riffs thunder but blur together in parts — but those are caveats, not failures.
What holds “Defiance” back from perfection are minor pacing issues and the occasional predictability of structure. Some of the doom-tinged or blackened passages work brilliantly in standalone tracks but would benefit from being more woven into more of the album, so that the atmosphere becomes integrated rather than additive.
Still, this album is a leap. It’s visceral, literate, heavy, and ambitious. Nightbearer manage that rare thing in death metal: they grow without losing what made them exciting in the first place. “Defiance” is a work you’ll want to hear loud and let the gods of HM-2 claim your soul!
