If a band is able to return after several years’ silence, book time at Electrical Audio only to notice Steve dying shortly before the session, then still go through with recording and finally comes out the other end with two different sides combined into one record full of noisey Helmet-Post-Hardcore - then that demands a lot of respect and in the case of Birth (Defects) a lot of admiration for the amazing record they are giving us!
I immediately know four or five people at the top of my head that would subscribe to the sentence “The best (Noise/Indie) Rock period was the mid-80s to the mid-90s!” and one of the reasons for them would be the early Helmet records and another the early Fugazi records. Two bands with their feet deep in the Hardcore scene before them who then mixed that with angular, sometimes mathy riffs. Now these four or five people should listen carefully to this new song by Birth (Defects) from Balitmore but so should everyone else. First of all out of respect for the band’s stamina and endurance - some of these songs are more than 10 years old, some were recorded as early as 2017, some in 2019 and some as late as 2024. Surviving the tumultuous times with band members leaving, one even a day before one of the recording sessions. But the other more important reason, in my opinion, for listening carefully would be the precisely crafted songs on Deceiver / Mirror full of amazing melodies behind barrages of Noise-Rock. A record that sounds fallen straight outta the “Golden Age of (Noise) Rock” and one that has a lot to say about personal relationships and how even the seemingly most perfect person is able to lie straight to one’s face. Singer Sean Gray says: “We drew from our own personal experiences at the time with the intent to explore themes of deception and self-reflection that would appeal universally to any listener.” Adapting the point of view of the liar makes this even more interesting. The way they come out with such a great record remains a mystery onto itself - but a highly engaging one. So engaging that even our dear friend Eugene S. Robinson has to say something: "”If you find yourself inexplicably getting misty over a record that is anything but feels-producing, the confusion might be yours if you didn’t have the slightest inkling that we’re still a little sore over here about Albini’s passing. … But even better than that is that it’s hewn from a very specific genre while at the same time both sounding and feeling pretty fucking genre-free (which is important if you’re hailing from DC/Baltimore where the Fugazi shadow looms large). … So file under NECESSARY. And you can tell them I said so.”
You can now pre-order the record via Reptilian Records and now you can enjoy the first track from Deceiver / Mirror called “Under”!
