Defeater – Lost Ground
Bridge Nine Records

Rating:  

To be honest, the first record that a hardcore band (or any non-Autotuned outfit really) puts out is not always the most polished piece. That isn’t saying that it isn’t good, but it usually takes a few releases for a band to hit their stride. There are of course exceptions , and now Massachusetts natives Defeater have joined that club. Travels, the bands first full length released in 2008 on Topshelf Records, is the album that puts them in that group and is the piece that paved the way for the follow up EP Lost Ground.

With their addition to the well known hardcore label Bridge 9 records,  Defeater released the 6 song Ground on November 17th in the same concept album format as their full length, this time following an American soldier who went to fight in World War II and returned home broken man. Using the sonic power that fueled the now defunct Verse and still active Bane , Defeater employed every bit of their instrumental talent arsenal for Ground, crafting an album that easily mixed intensity and emotion. The delicate balance that is needed to do this is matched by the lyrics, a trade off of rage and helplessness at situations described by the narrator.

Ground, released digitally, on CD, and on two versions of double gatefold 7″ vinyl, is a haunting addition to Defeater’s catalogue. Keeping the album moving along at a brisk pace is the story behind it, the soldier who went went to war, saw his friends die in battle, and came home to find an America still crippled by segregation and racism. There really is no one shining moment on this album, each song is a compliment to the next one, and each is embellished by the technicality that metal fans crave (see “Singin’ In New York Town”), the fast pace and anger that punk is famous for (”The Red White and Blues”), and the intensity that makes hardcore so meaningful and affecting (”Beggin’ In the Slums”). The songs are also used to plug Ground into Travels, with the monumental closer leading into the track “Prophet In Plain Clothes” on their full length featuring the character on this EP.

The fact that a band is able to take the idea of a concept album, usually a flop in music,  and make it a piece that is able to stand on its own independent of a LP or any other means is a feat unto itself, and the fact that Defeater are getting better even on EP’s is an unprecedented  accomplishment only two legitimate releases in. The ability of this band to make anyone listening to this record really get what the narrator is saying is their strongest point. The purpose in music is to connect, and they have found a way to make a single man from almost 70 years ago come alive and be relevant in his struggles today. This pretty much assures Defeater that they are the future of hardcore, and seeing what comes from these guys in the next few years is something worth being stoked on.

You can find Travels, the debut record from Defeater and Lost Ground, the follow up EP released this week both available on Bridge 9 Records’ website. Travels is also available on Topshelf Records’ website.