In a year where most death metal gems have come from well-established acts, Hypoxia carries the torch for the underground. Hypoxia caught my eye by advertising two ex-members of Monstrosity: both bassist Michael Poggione and vocalist Mike Hrubovcak appeared on 2007’s Spiritual Apocalypse and 2018’s late-career highlight The Passage of Existence. Along with the likes of Morbid Angel and Immolation, Monstrosity played a critical role in wooing a high school Maddog into death metal. Name-dropping them was bound to grab my attention, especially as Hypoxia’s third full-length Defiance promised girthy vintage death metal riffs. Defiance delivers that and more.
Brief bookends aside, Defiance doesn’t waste a moment. Hypoxia’s mastery of riffs covers both quality and quantity. Defiance comprises unabashed worship of Florida death metal, blending the crunch of Morbid Angel’s Domination (1995) with the shapeshifting stampede of Monstrosity’s In Dark Purity (1999). Some songs rise above the rest, with “Bleed for Blasphemy” and “Scorched and Skinned” both boasting candidates for riff o’ the year. But duds are nowhere to be found, as Hypoxia collars me with both their slower chunky cuts and their waltzy choruses. Defiance lays down colossal riffwork even when you least expect it, like during the melodic solo of “Drowning in Darkness” and the somber midsection of “Black Omens.” Meanwhile, Defiance’s tinges of slam are frequent enough to add swagger but rare enough to avoid eye rolls. While Defiance feels like a mild OSDM overdose despite its 37-minute runtime, it’s a powerful example of an often-underwhelming style.
Hypoxia’s largest similarity to Monstrosity lies in its sneaky complexity. Defiance’s songs evolve at will, with “Pathway to Charon” deftly jumping among a grab bag of OSDM bangers, an explosive chorus, and a late-arriving riff that jams fierce death metal into a surprising proggy rhythm. Similar rhythmic variations help Hypoxia’s catchy choruses stand out even amidst airtight verses. None of these ideas are rocket science, but they distinguish Hypoxia from the cluttered death metal underground. Mike Hrubovcak’s (Monstrosity) vocals sit high in the mix and add fearsome emphasis throughout, like the “sing”-along-able chorus of “Agonized Asphyxia.” The key to Defiance’s success is that every one of its artistic leaps is in service of raw death metal fun. For instance, the opening highlight “Bleed for Blasphemy” uses In Dark Purity-style rhythmic adventures and an infectious extended chorus as vehicles to cram ten minutes of riffs into under four minutes. There is no senseless wank here; every creative risk on Defiance aims to club your ears harder.
“Scorched and Skinned” has served as my morning alarm for the last nine months, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. I tried Kryptos, but that just left me laying in bed smiling. I tried Wormed, but that turned me into a chronic snoozer. I tried Selbst, but that turned my dreams into nightmares. Defiance isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s such a well-executed slab of death metal that I don’t care. Hypoxia scratches a primal itch. That’s good enough for me.
Tracks to Check Out: “Bleed for Blasphemy,” “Pathway to Charon,” “Scorched and Skinned”
