Almost a decade has gone by since DEFILED’s previous effort, Divination. And like most bands with revolving members, only a sole constant remains–their’s is guitarist Yusuke Sumita. Sumita forged on after many delays and problems with old members to lay the groundwork for the latest album by these Japanese metal warriors.

A soothing zen-like intro starts the album, only to be ravaged by the opening notes of “Lethal Agitator.” The furious bass guitar lines supplied by Haruhisa Takahata really shine and immediately fuels the kamikaze attack with parts that would put CANNIBAL CORPSE’s Alex Webster to shame. DEFILED’s music is not for the weak, as the riffs have an old school vibe with many strange twists and turns in tempo and time changes. Unexpected chords and strange riffing somehow seems harmonious with the slapped bass and blast beats.

“Retrogression” and “Unconscious Slavery” have hints of old MONSTROSITY and other old school Florida death metal bands from the early 90’s. Tracks like “Paradoxical Chaos” or “Intolerant,” are chaotic and haphazard, but the songwriting on In Crisis still shows the band’s growth. Songs now flow smoother, as opposed to having riffs thrown together for the sake of sounding crazy. Vocalist Kenji Sato spews growls that are nothing out of the ordinary, but he gets the job done. “Revelation of Doom,” one of DEFILED’s best tracks in their discography, closes out this extreme album, with an emphasis on “extreme.”

The middle of the album does stagnate a bit due to the constant speed and general lack of hooks, In Crisis is one of those albums where one appreciates the complexity of all the dynamics after hitting the play button time and time again. DEFILED is certainly not for everyone, as their music is not straightforward at all, but if you want to hear mind boggling riffs, with time changes crazier than IMMOLATION can ever produce, this is the band for you. (Season of Mist)