If the striking artwork courtesy of Ian Miller of Ulthar was not a giveaway, Chitin (Transcending Obscurity Records) is far from a conventional affair. As previous output from Defect Designer proved, this Russian (by way of Norway) vehicle is one totally unafraid of formulas and usual genre structures even amongst a seemingly increasing amount of more esoteric death metal acts. Even previous experience however will not fully prepare listeners for proceedings here however with some equal parts innovation and outright absurdity- for better or worse.

The immediate barrage of “Uglification Spell” gives some testament to the chaotic nature at work here with various tempo shifts, near cluttered instrumentation, and layering over a quick, blasting duration which proves simultaneously jarring yet memorable enough. Comparatively the following “To Ziggurat” melds frenzied passages with further shifts in pace and some pretty instantaneous breaks. 

What becomes abundantly clear is that this cacophony of varied ideas is done with some humour which does lead to some moments of (intended) silliness. An arena of music often inspired by science– real and fiction– Defect Designer does show this aspect lyrically and titularly but in a far more tongue-in-cheek manner; taking for example the bonkers “We Will Need Your Chitin”. Or the witches chant from Macbeth included in “We Prescribe”. Or the more easily missed quoting of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in the aforementioned “To Ziggurat”.

“Shine Shine” in the first instance is puzzling, to the point you check to see if you skipped on to a different band, with a hugely more melodic affair and Bjorn Strid’s (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra) unmistakable vocals leading the charge, before even this reveals further oddities with some jazz-tinged bass work in play. It’s a hugely unexpected curveball so far removed from the former songs yet it strangely works. Perhaps less so is the doomier, sludgey aspects of “Insomnia” which doesn’t quite hit the mark and thus feels unnecessary. 

Chitin will most certainly prove to be one of the year’s oddities in music and it certainly invokes a feeling of boundless experimentation, partially on whims more than reason, but this is seemingly by design and it surprisingly works as a result. Amongst an increasing plethora of experimental and weird death metal, Defect Designer are certainly one of the weirder ones but its strangeness is entwined with plenty of memorable, interesting and at times quite brilliant moments. 

With intent, this is a release that will require multiple listens to properly begin to grasp it fully, in a blend of the outlandish, the ominous and recognisable like an aural equivalent of that boat ride scene of the seventies film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and what a weird but wonderful ride it is.

Buy the album here:
https://defect-designer.bandcamp.com/album/chitin 

8 / 10
CHRIS TIPPELL