The loud, thrashing genre of Metal music is always evolving, taking turns into new paths that expand its reach through Emo, Punk, Hardcore, Goth, Electronic, and even Classical music. There are so many different flavors of Metal music that finding a place to start is almost impossible; decades of history can lead you to Motionless in White, Bad Omens, or Loathe, but for a fresh new face in the scene, one of the best places to look is with the new band Defences. This band out of Hertfordshire, UK, has been releasing music for ten years and deserves some critical acclaim for the energetic sound of their latest release, Shadowlight.
Defences have produced two studio albums and two eps in their decade of work, with Shadowlight, released on November 8, 2024 via Long Branch Records, as their third release. They create a specific sound to be remembered by crafting music that feels similar across all their works. This is largely due to Cherry Duesbury, the lead vocalist and songwriter for the band, who has used her own creativity as the cornerstone of the band.
After perfecting her voice and message, Defences’ lead vocalist has said that the upcoming music for the band has been shifted to have a collaborative focus. Combatting repetitiveness in ongoing releases by allowing all members of the band to voice opinions and plans on new and upcoming releases. This is exciting, especially for the band, which is touring the United Kingdom and Germany through the middle of July. There is plenty of road ahead for the relatively underground band. Duesbury has also stated that a new song or two will be released by the end of 2025 to continue the momentum that has been found through the release of Shadowlights.
The sound on display in this album feels like a mix-up of many different influences, introducing a demonic side that is usually much more subtle while still giving space to some airy keys reminiscent of Evanescence. Dark, gravelly vocals and choppy guitar take the main stage in the release, counteracting lead singer Cherry Duesbury’s feminine and powerful sound. These two juxtaposing vocals make up the theme of the album and represent its moniker of Shadowlight. The album is a complete package rather than just a collection of new releases.
In an interview with The Brutally Delicious Podcast, Duesbury stated that the album was meant to be listened to with each song together in a story. She also noted that this approach has gained some traction in recent years. This is likely compared to the ’90s and early 2000s when albums were less thematic and focused on radio play and individuality. For Shadowlight, Defences wanted to highlight the light and beauty within any one person’s journey but also show the truth of the darkness that lives within someone as well. The focus is on learning to accept the darker self as one half of the whole. The complete album ends with its title-track as a final acceptance of both sides of a person. A powerful ending for a collection of songs that teeter between the two sides.
Embracing the repressed emotions and trauma of life is an intense topic and an integral part of this album. This results in an unabashed sound that explores the raw feelings of pain. At times, the sound felt reminiscent of earlier works. For example, “Perish” feels like it inhabits the same space as “Gravity” from their 2017 release With Might and Main. Defenses also explore a section of Metalcore that is an emotional release focused on the self. It is a cathartic sound that is common in this genre, but Defences set themselves apart with an electronic pulse of sound that lightens up the album. It adds an eerie techno aura to the otherwise metal sound. This achieves the feel of an action scene in a dystopian city; think Ghost in the Shell or the undercity of Cyberpunk.
The electronic sound gives both twinkling highs in the album’s namesake track, “Shadowlight,” and is used to produce a unique echo for the lyrics and guitar overall. This echo warps the sound into something progressive and new. In ways, it feels gothic and icily detached, but this is changed by the yelling of the darker side that pulls the listener back into the grinding guitars and unveils touching and raw emotions. The screaming of William Young (keys, vocals) is strange because it invokes Death Metal, Thrash, and Grindcore with its raw power, but it does not overtake the songs. The darker vocals feel like a force being restrained. When it breaks out, the entire energy of the song is warped, but only for short spurts before Duesbury returns to bring poise and control back. This is achieved by more than just her vocals; the guitar work of Calum Wilmot does wonders for setting the scene.
Overall, Shadowlight is a mix of many different influences that create a progressive and powerful new sound for the Metal genre. It is an exciting album that tells the story of an emotional journey through acceptance; the themes on display are riveting and complement the exceptional guitar and basslines of each song. Duesbury’s powerful female voice, in competition with Young, creates an energetic and unique turn on the guttural sounds of Death Metal that is a little jarring at first but sinks into itself successfully as the album progresses. Look to “Greatness” for an example of a track with a good blend of both voices. For this reason, Cryptic Rock gives Shadowlight 4 out of 5 stars.
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