DEFYING DECAY are an alternative metal band formed in Bangkok, Thailand back in 2010 and this is their first full length release. The band already have three singles and music videos out for the record and now supporting Betraying the Martyrs on tour.

Following a pretty pointless 17 second intro track, we have "Existance of Extinction", which serves as a much better intro track and a good idea of what you're getting into with the rest of the album. It did remind me quite a bit of early Linkin Park with a softer sung chorus mixed in with synthetic backing instruments and some heavy guitar riffs. Connect this with a badass breakdown near the end and you have yourself an album highlight.

After a similar track with the same kind of nu-metal sound and catchy chorus with "Dominion", we then have "Dying Program" which is the longest and quite possibly the best track on offer. It has some of the heavier moments found on the album while also having some of the most sombre with it's softer musical tones at the beginning and the end. Even with it's long length it never outstays it's welcome by keeping things interesting with a few tone changes now and again. Some of the riffs here are damn heavy and close to being doom metal-like.

One of the main singles "Judas Kiss" (not the Metallica one) is a suitably heavy follow up to this longer track and has a breakdown just begging for a circle pit. Following this is "Crimson Butterfly" which may have been my least favourite track on the album as it's meant to be more of a ballad kind of track but just ended up boring me for the time it lasted. It felt like it was about to go somewhere deeper and then never did.

Thankfully we then have the next single "Ghost" which is definitely the poppiest track on offer so you can see why it was released as a single. It is a memorable track for sure with a hooky as hell chorus and makes use of the harsh vocals when necessary. One of the better songs on offer.

"Headrush" was a track that stuck out to me as it begins with such an awesome little riff before attacking us with a sound more akin to Slipknot than Linkin Park. The heaviest track here and that sweet guitar solo was something else.

I did have an issue with the final track "Swan Song" as was a bit too familiar in structure and sound to the previous track "Further" and came across more like filler. They should have just ended things with the penultimate track.

Overall while I may have been critical on a few points, I did have a good time with this album thanks to a number of memorable tracks and a more refreshing sound. I do think the album is a bit long for what it is at 51 minutes in total and I think a few tracks could have been cut to make for much more presentable package. Still, this is a band worth your time.