Defeated Sanity – Chronicles of Lunacy

Defeated Sanity needs no introduction. Not many bands embody the heaviest of the heavy like this act does. Ever since Psalms of the Moribund, its catalog has been a masterclass in brutal consistency without devolving into the numbing exercise that often plagues Brutal Death Metal. That alone is an achievement. I can throw on a Defeated Sanity album and be annihilated for 35 minutes straight. Yet, with every new release, there’s always the lurking risk of falling into tired tropes. So, does Chronicles of Lunacy dodge the lameness abyss?

No surprises! Chronicles grabs you by the leg and hurls you around like the Hulk. Mercy? Forget it. There’s no room for respite. It’s an abusive, unapologetic, and overwhelming display of sonic violence, but—thankfully—it has enough twists and turns to keep you engaged. (Assuming your idea of entertainment is being flattened by a freight train.) Maybe it’s the sheer technical prowess required to perform this kind of music. Maybe it’s the production, which manages to feel organic despite the sheer savagery on display. There’s something about Chronicles that keeps pulling me back, and while I can’t quite put my finger on it, I’ll do my best to figure it out.

Defeated Sanity excels in two key areas. First, its songwriting deftly avoids the clichés of the genre—or at least gives that impression. Second, the band resist the temptation to overcompress the work. Plenty of bands rely on sheer loudness to sound heavier, but Defeated Sanity has never needed that crutch. Oh, and can we all take a moment to appreciate how utterly brutal that snare sounds? It’s giving me serious old-school Cryptopsy vibes, which is always a win in my book. Not much out there sounds this downright inhumane. Keep it coming! Alright, I’m getting too hyped—let’s talk setbacks.

Remember when I said “no surprises” (you do remember, right? It was two paragraphs ago)? Well, don’t expect any radical departures here. Defeated Sanity is as solid as concrete—and about as flexible. They come from the Immolation school of thought: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and if it does break, triple down on what worked before. It’s an approach that somehow makes no sense and perfect sense all at once (blame my recent Hegel binge). So, if you’ve never been into Defeated Sanity, Chronicles won’t be the album to convert you. It’s a niche offering in an already niche genre.

Sometimes, though, we crave intense experiences that remain constant no matter how much time passes. Chronicles delivers on that front. Sure, it’s the most unforgiving knee-smashing ordeal imaginable, but for those of you with a masochistic streak, it’s a wild ride worth taking. I could tell you to admire its depth or technical precision, but let’s be real: you’re not here for fancy nonsense. You’re here to shovel crusty mud straight from an old car tire, and Chronicles delivers that grime with unflinching ferocity. So, yay? Yay!

Label: Season of Mist

Release date: 22 November, 2024

Website: https://defeatedsanity.bandcamp.com/album/chronicles-of-lunacy

Country: Germany

Score: a disturbing experience, Or 3.7/5.0