50 Best Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Albums Of 2017
19. Act Of Defiance – Old Scars, New Wounds
With their ranks being filled by ex-members of Megadeth, Shadows Fall and Scar the Martyr, Act of Defiance is a thrash addict’s dream made flesh. And by mixing in elements of technical death metal, hard rock and acoustic music into its immense sound, the group’s sophomore disc, Old Scars, New Wounds, is one that lives up to its giant pedigree.
As with the quartet’s lauded debut, Birth and the Burial (2015), lead shredder Chris Broderick is Old Scars, New Wounds’ big show-stealer, his sheer prowess with the six strings – whether they’re attached to an electric or classical guitar – inalienable and practically unrivalled in today’s metal world. And while his technicality is second to none, he remains unafraid to make things simple for the sake of big hooks and grooves, as demonstrated by the powerhouse opening of “Overexposure” and the record’s many, rousing choruses.
Shawn Drover is similar masterful, his drum fill and subsequent, punishing work at the openings of “Molten Core” and “Conspiracy of the Gods” as fast and heavy as possible, while his more rhythmic work on “Circle of Ashes” allows the bass of Matt Bachand to shine equally.
Top it all off with a mix of growls and grungy cleans from singer Henry Derek and the end result is an exaggerated thrash metal stand-out that surpasses not only Birth and the Burial, but probably a great many of 2017’s more established thrash bands, too!