Search - Defleshed :: Reclaim the Beat

Straight ahead thrashing death metal with no variation.

Ben Stubbs | Australia | 05/21/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"What have we got here? Defleshed's 6th full-length studio album is upon us and if you know the band, you know exactly what to expect. This is straight out death metal, played at high speed, without ever varying from their set path. All tracks are short on running time and filled with aggression. But is it any good?



To be honest, this is just so monotonous and boring. All the tracks on "Reclaim the Beat" sound so very similar to each other as these guitarists repeat the same riff structures and the drummer constantly bashes his kit without much in the way of interesting variations. If I listen to a single track, it really isn't that bad. But if I try to get through the whole album in one go, I find the repetition numbing to my brain. Considering it only has a running time of 36 minutes, this is not a good sign.



I really wonder how much effort these guys put into their albums. This could so easily have been improvised in the studio as it follows a simple death metal template. In a way it reminds me of "Six Feet Under", although it's not as sad as the American's latest release.



"Stripped to the Bone" and "Grind and Rewind" temporarily get my head nodding, but after I finish writing here, I doubt I'll ever put this album on again. Enough said."

Defleshed's last and by far best release.

J. Belton | Tampa, Fl United States | 03/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A few months after its release, Defleshed announced that Reclaim the Beat would be the band's last effort. Fortunately, they couldn't have ended with a better album. I've been a fan of Defleshed since Under the Blade, but Defleshed had never reached true consistency until this album. I can honestly say I have never listened to a record that kicks my @$$ harder than this one does; it is an absolutely uncompromising death/thrash metal assault that has almost daily rotation in my stereo.

Bands like Defleshed make me proud to be a metalhead - they consistently released quality thrash metal and never gave a damn about what anyone else thought... all the while improving their sound. The only song really lacking on the album is the title track...the remaining 11 songs relentlessly pummel you into the wall, never let up, don't have much variety, and reach a level of speed and brutality seldom displayed in metal today. I wouldn't have it any other way. \m/"