UMUR
"Beyond Recognition" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US thrash metal act Defiance. The album was released through Roadracer Records in March 1992. It´s the successor to "Void Terra Firma" from 1990. There have been no lineup changes between the two albums.
Stylistically the music on "Beyond Recognition" is rooted in the Bay Area thrash metal style and there are more than a few references to especially Testament. When that is said, Defiance have in keeping with the trend at the time, incorporated quite a few groove metal riffs and rhythms and an occasional alternative edge to their music.
The instrumental musicianship is strong with some sharp riffs, solos, and drumming, and when lead vocalist Steev Esquivel keep to singing his most raw vocals (when he sounds most like Chuck Billy) things are moving along alright...but he really shouldn´t have tried his hands at singing clean vocals. It sounds a bit out of tune, and the vocal melodies aren´t particularly memorable either. It´s not a horror to listen to or anything like that, but it´s not exactly a positive either.
"Beyond Recognition" features a fairly well sounding production job, and upon conclusion it is a decent thrash/groove metal release. Compared to other contemporary releases in a similar style, it doesn´t stand out much though, and that´s probably a large part of the reason why they never reached anything but underground status and success. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.