Defects 'Artificial Icons' album review: Harder and heavier, Defects fight through the noise

I'm going to admit straight away that Artificial Icons is not normally the sort of album I'd reach for. Defects are heavy. Really heavy. But from the opening bars, you know exactly what you're in for: it feels like gunfire. Heavy drum thuds, raging guitars and growling vocals — you're being dropped straight into a war zone.

Produced by Jim Pinder, the album is dark, deranged and almost apocalyptic, with synths and electronics adding a cinematic edge. At times it feels like you're trapped in a dark, deep space void, at others you're fighting everything happening around you or you're trapped inside your own head.

The first half is particularly raw and confrontational. Signs, featuring Trivium's Matt Heafy, captures that feeling of frustration and not belonging, while Where Did I Go Wrong brings an Evanescence-like rhythm into the darkness. There's anger everywhere, but beneath the external pressures are some very internal battles too.

And that's where the album started to get me.

I'm not really a growling-vocals person, so State Of Mind was the point where I found my way in. Cleaner vocals, a huge singalong chorus and a soaring guitar solo bring a more melodic side to the band, with definite Linkin Park vibes. Hollow follows with the same balance of clean and raw vocals, keeping the heaviness but giving the melody more room.

Then comes The Other Side, and suddenly the album feels much bigger. Cinematic synths, pounding drums and cleaner vocals create something almost like a cry from the heart. The guitar rises out of the darkness, reminding me of the emotional release of Slash in November Rain. It's not just a guitar solo, it feels like the song itself is trying to break free.

By Afterglow, the battle has become much more personal. There's loneliness, desperation and emptiness, with the album turning inward and confronting the idea that sometimes the biggest battle is with yourself.

The final moments strip things back to acoustic guitar and synths. After all that noise, rage and heaviness, everything suddenly feels still.

The album began like a war zone. It ends with a ceasefire.

The problems haven't necessarily disappeared, but for a moment the fighting stops. The amps can rest. And for someone who doesn't normally gravitate towards this level of heaviness, that's the part of Artificial Icons that stayed with me.