Defences – ‘Shadowlight’ review
Defences by Fordtography
Defences are set to release their much-anticipated album Shadowlight this Friday. Following on from their 2021 release, In the Balance, their new album features Cherry Duesbury’s clean, soaring vocals accompanied by William Young’s powerful screamed verses along with melodic yet hard-hitting instrumentals from the rest of the band.
Across ten tracks, Shadowlight captures a feeling of deep reflection and what it means to be truly vulnerable. Delving into themes of self-acceptance and resilience, the album encourages listeners to confront their darker sides and embrace them, rather than run away from that side of themselves.
Kicking the album off, The Curse sets the tone of the album, with strong, compelling vocals from Duesbury and Young, held up by a strong instrumental backing. The opening track is nothing short of intense, tackling the feeling of struggling against some unseen force that’s trying to keep the narrator in line, whilst stifling their creativity. The track touches on the unique struggle of feeling as though originality is out of reach in a world where everybody is fighting to show off their uniqueness.
Gold in the Dark, the second track on the album is all about rejecting the status quo and giving into your dark side. Gold in the Dark encourages us to embrace who we are, or our “dark side” as the song puts it. The song is a continuation of the journey we set out on in The Curse, and a message that says if the world isn’t going to accept who you’re trying to be, then to hell with it all, give into your dark side.
Perish is where it really kicks off. An intense guitar riff and drum beat open the song up, and then give way to a more melodic sound for the first verse, before jumping back in for the chorus complimented by Young’s guttural screams. The song feels like a question-and-answer sequence, with lighter, melodic verses featuring Duesbury’s clean vocals meeting heavy guitar riffs along with Young’s unclean vocals, blending together seamlessly to create a captivating soundscape. "'Perish' is about facing up to reality. To appreciate life for what is, rather than what you wish it was," comment the band. "It’s a promise to yourself to lay in the bed you made and to acknowledge every part of yourself. To light a match and let the Shadow Work begin."
Ego(Maniac) is an introspective, high-energy track that shows off the band’s raw metalcore sound. The fourth track showcases Defence’s unique sound in which Young’s aggressive screams play off Duesbury’s clean vocals to create an almost cinematic experience in your ears. Thematically, the track explores feelings of self-doubt coupled with the lure of egotism to fight that self-doubt.
The album’s fifth track, Silence and the Sound is all about escapism, with Duesbury exploring the need to get out, away from it all and just think. Following on from the previous track, Silence and the Sound also explores themes of self-doubt, with the narrator citing the need to find a secret place where they can think things through to find some answers.
Breathe it in is a high energy track that builds in intensity, with a marching rhythm behind it. It was one of the first songs Defences started working on for Shadowlight. Speaking to Distorted Sound Magazine, the band said, “Breathe It In was one of the very first tracks we started on this record and it shows in its message. Far from the contemplative and collected tone struck on later songs like Silence and The Sound and Shadowlight, this song is about taking the first step on the road to self-acceptance, or even realising that a step needs to be taken in the first place.”
Breathe it in offers no real conclusion for listeners, before being met with the album’s seventh track Inspirit, my personal favourite on the album. Inspirit is the very definition of reflective and melodic, with a light and flowy feel to it. It’s the kind of song you could imagine an audience swaying to, phone torch lights raised high in the air. The track offers a level of raw emotion which balances out the angst felt throughout the rest of the album.
Defences waste no time in ramping things back up with The Almost, a powerful exploration of comparison and feelings of inadequacy. This track is a battle cry against regrets, holding yourself back and fighting against your inner critic. This message, coupled with the strong guitar riffs and beating drums will certainly be one that will get a crowd jumping.
The album’s penultimate track, Greatness, follows the contemplative themes that are found through the rest of the album. The repetition of the well-known phrase “this too shall pass” clearly sets out the message of this song – everything in life, including the bad stuff, is all temporary.
Shadowlight, the final song and title track, touches on the concept of shadow work, where a person confronts repressed parts of themselves in order to bring about self-acceptance and healing. Thematically, this track is the right choice to bring the album to a close as it brings together the message that the whole album sets out to portray: self-acceptance and embracing your dark side is the only way forward.
Overall, Shadowlight takes us on a seemingly personal journey through shadow work, encouraging us to embrace our dark sides. This message, coupled with the outstanding vocals and instrumentals throughout the ten tracks are sure to make this one their best work yet.
Shadowlight from Defences is out 8 November via Long Branch Records and available on all good streaming platforms.
