Defechate - Unbounded

Defechate are a rather interesting 2 man death metal group from Italy. On their debut full length “Unbonded” the band at first seems to come off as a typical death grind, but with their rather introspective song titles and loaded groove into each song, the music is actually not quite the noisefest one would think. Yes, the music hits hard at times but it hits tastefully with quite a bit of focus on bass, which is not typical for those who are used to the run of the mill death metal churn of the likes that are all about riffs and vocals or full blown speed and technicality (such as the likes of Behemoth or Archspire). Defechate seem to come across more as a mix of Dying Fetus and even Mudvayne with their mix of groove laden guitar and drums with the short barks of vocals and even a little Mudvayne with their bass work, so that should draw attention enough right from the start when hearing the opening for ‘Hyperammonaemic.’ While the churning speed and riffs seem certainly like a more thrashy Dying Fetus with a switch between shrieks and throaty grunts, the hammer driving riffs are certainly death metal-ish enough to have fans who enjoy the more brutal side along with the technical really get thrown into the music. It is certainly a pit starter for sure along with many of the other track. Others like ‘Naked Thoughts’ is where things get less ferocious but then one really gets to hear the bass work and appreciate it. Then there are more full blown death metal speed tracks like ‘Unexpected Denier’ which showcases more insane drumming in the vein of Archspire. The bass technique is still there but it more hums along than thumps, so it gets a bit lost. But then Defechate finally bring in more keyboard work which is still subtle but adds another layer of depth to the music.

The keyboards make a more prominent role on tracks like ‘Just Falling Leaves,’ although it is enjoyed more when the drums aren’t going in full force. This tends to happen a lot, especially on a track like that, though in contrast on ‘The Unbound Storm,’ the drums have a more tasteful click in bursts rather than going all out like a lengthy machine gun clip (the drummer is yet to be named in the group). Other tracks like ‘Epicurean Herd’  demonstrate more of how bassist/ vocalist Giuseppe and guitarist/ synth lead Luke play off each other well in the technical sense between the groove of bass and guitar, though with the less chugging riffs and more ‘in your face’ style this feels more like brutal death metal in the vein of Cannibal Corpse with a little of the technical edge lost in favor for the more non stop freight train running of the riffs. Thankfully ‘Unbound Storm’ cuts back a little on the ‘in your face’ speed and brings back more of the technical jazzy tones with the thumping, almost sludgy pace of the music. While the technicality is still lacking, the rather stripped down almost demo tone of the music is something new to show for Defechate, and adds more to their style which seems a bit out of the ordinary (especially when the vocals and drums just hit with no constant thrash of the guitar). Listeners will still appreciate it despite how it sounds like a more recent grunge and roll Six Feet Under track with how the guitars, vocals, bass, and drums all come together in their own cohesive sick way.

‘Il Signore…’ closes the album with a hard hitter. While not quit the bass driven, technical knock out that some might had been hoping for compared to a track like ‘Naked Thoughts,’ this is pretty much as close to brutal Dying Fetus is one can get. The chugging, slightly repetitive riffs hold plenty of groove and even the keyboards add a bit of spooky outro to glide out on. Not their best track, but still holds the brutal side. Overall, the album does have plenty of variety even if it is a bit haphazard. The core of the music is definitely death metal with touches of technicality, but the highlight of the bass work is alone worth checking out. Hopefully Defechate will have some more crazy bass lines for us in the future that stay right in the sweet spot of the mid paced riffing and doesn’t quite blow the ear when trying to compete for having that highest number of blast beats per second.

3.5 / 5 STARS



1. Hyperammonaemic
2. Naked Thoughts
3. Burning Like The Water
4. Unexpected Denier
5. Repent To Be Dead
6. Oxydized Man
7. Epicurean Herd
8. The Unbound Storm
9. Just Falling Leaves
10. Il Signore Del Disorderline