Defod – Cerrig Hynafol
2 min read
Band: Defod
Title: Cerrig Hynafol
Label: Independent
Release Date: 20 March 2021
Country: Wales
Format Reviewed: High-quality Digital Recording
Defod is a one-man band from Wales and is one more of the few bands that I know from there. So this review is starting well. Eheheheh.
Made some research about the name of the band and if my Sherlock skills were good, Defod means ritual and the name of the EP “Cerrig Hynafol” means “Ancient Stones”. Well, soon I found the meaning of the band name, is quite easy to know, or at least have one idea of the meaning of the EP, looking to the cover.
I made that conection. Hope not wrong.
Now talking about the music. Yes, it’s needed. Eheheh
The band is moving inside the Black Metal but not a traditional Black Metal, or Atmospheric, or Raw, or DSBM, or Blackgaze, or Black Doom, or Black Crust, or Black ‘n’ roll, or Ambient Black Metal, plus some more subgenres available.
They play Black Metal with Death Metal influences. Yes, that is what it sounds to me. But at the same time not a “typical Black Death Metal” style. Especially the song “Raising the Monolith” even if it is an instrumental song. I noticed some influences, like some riffs or breaks but the main influence in my opinion is the voice. Can’t deny one thing too, sometimes it reminds me Chuck Schuldiner. Yes, but just a bit and sometimes.
This EP is divided into 6 songs and all together, they do this EP as an acceptable EP. Not a good one to be honest. There are good moments in the EP, I admit it, but the all “cake”, not really. It is missing something that manages to grab my balls. The musician behind Defod (and also in Merciless Savage, I made the review and I did like it, check here) knows how to play (not just a guy that learned to play guitar about 6 months or 1 year and start to say “I have a band and I already recorded 3 demos, nop, not that), riffs are ok in both music styles, the sound production is ok, the songs are ok structured, but, the click or the hand grabbing the balls is missing except is just a few riffs/parts/passages.
That… Well, is not enough for me. Even so…
I’m interested to listen to the future release (when out) and check if the band is better (at least in my opinion), check the evolution of the same, listen to new music and try to support the band, the best I can, even if sometimes my sincere opinion is not the best one. 5.5/10 The Key Keeper 666
5.5/10 Floating in the sea of mediocrity
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