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Powers That Be

    
       
       
       
     
             
Wreck-Defy are a thrash metal band from Canada formed in 2016 by guitarist Matt Hanchuck, releasing their debut album 'Fragments Of Anger' in 2017. The bands second album 'Remnants Of Pain', was released in 2019 and featured former members of Annihilator and Testament - Aaron Randall (ex Annihilator) on vocals and Greg Christian (ex Testament) on bass guitar. This line-up remained together, releasing 'Powers That Be' in 2020.    
             
Just a year after their scorching rampage known as 'Remnants Of Pain', Canadian thrashers Wreck-Defy are back, and are more fierce, more fiery, and more ferocious than ever. The bands third album 'Powers That Be', features ten songs across a fifty minutes play time, with aggression and fury erupting like Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD... The band are fiercely volcanic as they blitz their way through the ten songs on offer - roaring to life with the aggression fuelled 'Beyond H8'. Riddled with anger and attitude, 'Beyond H8' is ferocious to the max - a venom spitting vocal performance adds to the aggression levels, and Wreck-Defy are back doing what they do best! The title song 'Powers That Be', fairly rips into life, and proceeds to adopt a pummelling mid tempo tirade. The heaviness with which Wreck-Defy play is stunning - this is not an album for the faint of heart.    
             
With no let up in intensity, the album powers on with 'Skin', portraying the more melodic style of thrash. Pace, purpose and urgency all combine perfectly to bang heads very hard, with Wreck-Defy claiming a last minute grab for Album Of The Year. 'Powers That Be' (the album) is in stiff competition with albums from Onslaught, Acid Reign, Testament, and Heathen leading the honours. The mid tempo heavy foot stomping style of thrash makes an emphatic appearance, as 'Drowning In Darkness' relentlessly pummels the senses, with no grace given for anyone of a nervous disposition. In a year that has seen the old guard release some tremendous thrash, it's great to see a new breed coming through to take up the baton after these "fortysomethings" have called it a day - Wreck-Defy just one of the exciting new breeds coming through. 'Space Urchin' is another melodic thrash metal offering, coupled with a heaviness that belies its root melodic stance. Matt Hanchuck and company have only taken a couple of years to make a stunning impact on the worldwide thrash metal scene - keep an eye out for they are gonna be huge. Atmospheric, epic and haunting is the best way to describe the opening to 'Scumlord' - proceeding to swagger by in a crescendo of savage riffery. And that growling, snarling, menacing vocal performance - it's gonna scare a few!    
             
Blistering pace lights up the album, with the high velocity, high speed 'Freedomless Speech', slowing down to a menacing crawl as it gets going proper - changing pace many times before it comes crashing to a conclusion. Wreck-Defy are providing so much variety with regards to thrash metal styles, there's something on offer here to tickle every thrash metal fan, from the old school diehards to the young pretenders. 'Goodbye To Misery' launches forth in a crescendo of more "heavy metal" sounding guitars, with Wreck-Defy showing just a little chink in their thrash metal arsenal. However, that little chink is quickly closed, as 'Goodbye To Misery' picks up the pace and intensity, fairly charging along at high velocity. Bringing scorching pace to the fore 'I Am The Wolf' is a tsunami of devastating proportions, wreaking havoc and destruction as it blitzes its way past. And for fifty minutes, the intensity has not relented for one second, with Wreck-Defy proving why they are one of the most exciting bands around at the moment. 'On The Other Side' is a one minute guitar led, mellow swagger, with a prophetic statement of "I'll see you on the other side" - sounding like it's referring to a lost love.    
             
Overall, a tremendous album of thrash metal, full of pace and aggression, Wreck-Defy have delivered a superb album.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Remnants Of Pain      
           
"a terrific thrash metal rampage, full of pace, power and undeniable infectiousness" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             

           
           
The World Enslaved      
           
"a savage barrage of thrash from a band hungry for world domination - and I believe they're well on their way to succeed" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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