DEFECT DESIGNER is a Progressive Death Metal band from Norway. Originally based in Siberia, Russia, the band was formed in 2008. This is their second full-length album, and contains ten tracks. I will highlight some of the tracks here.

"Corpsewatcher" has a pretty grand opening with a lot going on sonically. It's pretty heavy and powerful music, and the vocals are just brutal. The Progressive elements are there for the experienced listener, and what they bring to the table is an element of depth and texture that does not often accompany standard Death Metal. I am also immediately impressed by the diversity in technique and sheer ability of the drummer. "The Terrible" is another noteworthy track. I feel like I am cast in a horror movie where death is imminent. There are some eerie passages marked by guitars on super flanger and other techniques that really impart a feeling of pure evil. "I Remember You Dead" really stretches out into a wide array of different riffs and sounds while maintaining a guiding rhythm that keeps the song grounded. The clean vocal section is a perfect example of this.

"Crusaders" dials up the pace with impossible percussion demands and a more straightforward way of dissecting you into bits. If you like things more in your face you will enjoy this song for sure. The nuances in "Berenice" are hard to put into words, giving the song an element of the supernatural for me but being pleasing to listen to at the same time. As the unusual song title suggests, "Communist Architectonics" is a unique listen. There is some dissonance early on amidst the fury of the drums. When I listen to it I picture varying pieces of metal coming to life and then connecting and un-connecting with themselves while swirling in a barren landscape. The instrumental "Star Dust" closes the album. It has a tentative and melodic entrance, especially with the bass guitar notes. The melody continues to build in layers of additional guitar parts while the main riff is established. It's completely different than the approach of other songs on the album.

In sum, I have heard a lot of Progressive and/or Technical Death Metal that is sometimes just too over the top or too homogenous for my liking, but that is definitely not the case here. DEFECT DESIGNER have found a way to bring Progressive Death Metal to new directions. It is both accessible and complex, brutal yet musical, and diverse yet unified at the same time.