Enlarge Photo Credit: Alan Hess

Act of Defiance are Anything but “M.I.A.” in New Song/Video

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Act of Defiance are in a bit of weird spot right now.

On one hand, the particular brand of metal they play — slick, aggro, precise, vaguely melodeathy — is not in vogue right now. This band would’ve gone over huge on the Sounds of the Underground tour in 2007, but the metal scene has changed quite a lot since then.

On the other hand, they’re much better at it than pretty much anyone else out there making this kind of metal right now (including many of the bands on the aforementioned tour, many of which have since disbanded). That’s due in no small part to the band’s A-list pedigree: Chris Broderick (ex-Megadeth, ex-Nevermore) on guitar, Henry Derek (ex-Scar the Martyr) on vocals, Shawn Drover (ex-Megadeth) on drums and Matt Bachand (ex-Shadows Fall, heyo Sounds of the Underground 2007) on bass. This type of metal is still what you’re likely to see a local band playing when they’ve been tapped to open a national show — only way less good — so it’s certainly got sticking power.

So where does that leave Act of Defiance? It’s gonna be tough. My sense of the last record cycle (their 2015 debut Birth and the Burial) was that they had more trouble gaining traction than anticipated, but here they are for round number two, and still with Metal Blade Records. So it must’ve done at least alright. Maybe there’s substance in repetition.

Check out their new song and video “M.I.A.” and see what you think. Old Scars, New Wounds will come out on September 29 via Metal Blade and can be pre-ordered here.

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