From Bandcamp, "After hearing them pound out three albums in four years, Metalheads would be forgiven for assuming DEFILED had reached the highest level, that there were no horrors left for them to reveal. "Altered State" quickly quiets any leftover suspicions. The band can sharpen even traditional riffs before breaking into a series of tempo shifts that unlock another plane of existence. Though still influenced by sounds that came out of the underground during the '80s and '90s, the album delves even deeper into their psychic perception of our warped reality. Occultists gather around the shapeshifting groove that seizes hold over "Obsession." "Altered State" isn't afraid to wind through the darkest and most mysterious corners of our collective consciousness. But listen closely to DEFILED and all secrets will be revealed. "Receive the power", the band command on the album's title track with a chaos that only they can control.
On "Altered State," DEFILED unleash a dizzying blast of death metal straight from the future."

"Dazed in Blindness" is first, and the production is a bit muted to let the mids and low end of their sound come through most. It's an overly aggressive number that features fast moving riffs and drums and horrid vocals. "Obsession" continues the brutal punishment with another bruising song, and if you don't come away from the listening experience with some cuts, bruises, and scrapes, you aren't listening properly. There is also quite a bit of dissonance. "Necro Force" hears the band not slowing even and inch or dialing back the intensity. There are some stop and starts that are super well timed, and the band hits every accent along the way with deadly accuracy. "The Degradation" is just as it sounds, and the band digs a hole deep into the earth and descends into the very bowels. Heavy bass notes thump like fists underneath the unholy sets of riffs, and the vocals carry a lot of energy with them.

"Metamorphosis of Evil" is another heavy slab of energy, but besides that quality, the band isn't overly experimental. I get the desire to stay within the confines of the genre so that fans know what to expect, but I wouldn't have minded a little. "Zombified" does have some evil and filthy qualities to it, and that's the band's extent of reach. They prefer to beat you over the head with their sound and kick you in your teeth when you are already down and not moving. "Prophecies" is darker and perhaps even more evil. The band foretells that you will be dead soon, but doesn't say how. I say it might be getting hit by a bus, or beaten to death with baseball bats. "Demolition" is another beater, and the vocals are nearly in the same key as the other songs. "Apocalyptic End" is the ending we were all hoping for…a brutal, punishing song that features some dexterous meter shifting.

The band is talented, there is no denying that. 14 tracks of Death Metal overstayed its welcome just a bit for me, and many of the songs blended together with a similar sound. Although the boundaries are traditionally narrow, there is room to experiment some, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit disappointed. Still, it's a solid release anyway you slice it.