Unsurprisingly to anyone who reads my reviews, I was once again heading into Birmingham for a night of live music goodness at The Asylum 2, as Modern Metallers Defects hit the road for their UK headline tour with support from RXPTRS, Yikes and Insurgent.
As I got to the venue, it was a great surprise to not have ages to wait before the first act of the night, Birmingham’s own Insurgent took to the stage with an impressive onslaught of heavy riffs, groovy bass lines and great vocals. With it being the band’s first show in months, I was expecting a slightly rocky performance but aside from a couple of sound issues for the band themselves on stage, I was blown away by the tight and catchy performance. A damn good set and a great way to open the night that left me wanting more.
Luckily, that want for more wouldn’t take long to satiate as another of Birmingham’s local talent YIKES Took to the stage. With a blend of Alt-Rock and 90’s Grunge, YIKES blew me away with their performance and sound, filling a hole I’ve wanted to find for a good while now. From the great instrumentals to the amazing stage presence, nothing was below the standards of a fully professional band and it was a pleasure to both watch and hear. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.
Next, we move along to the main support for the night, RXPTRS. A band who has decided it’s illegal to use vowels and even more so, decided it’s illegal to do anything but blow the roof off the venue. From the, yet again, amazing stage presence that made it so I couldn’t drag my eyes away, to the tightness of the performance and the absolute range of vocalist Simon Roach, I’m only sad because it’s taken me this long to see the band. Check out RXPTRS.
After a short break, it was finally time for the headline act, Defects. Taking to the stage in an explosive choir of cheers, it’s been an incredibly long time since I’ve seen a band of this size get this amount of fanfare and for good reason. Defects laid waste to the venue with an absolute onslaught of filthy riffs, chunky breakdowns and catchy choruses that even those not into Modern Metalcore could bang their head to. From some outright aggressive pits, to the monstrous sound and performance, it’s no surprise as to why Defects are growing as fast as they are. A great headline set from a band with some serious potential.
After the band finished their set, it was time to head on home. It was one of those smaller shows that you could tell all in attendance just loved to be there. The atmosphere, the crowd, the bands, there’s nothing to complain about, and from what I was hearing from those around me, the crowd were having the time of their lives all night long. A great night.
Review & Photography: Pulse Media Visuals
“After so long of being absent from the music scene it feels great to put on our own headline shows. The last 8 months has been crazy, now we want to make it even more special. The set is packed with new songs and vibes that will make you want to mosh. Can’t wait to see you out there.”
Catch them at the following shows in October 2022:
11/10 – Key Club, Leeds
12/10 – Asylum2, Birmingham
13/10 – Satans Hollow, Manchester
15/10 – Exchange, Bristol
16/10 – The Black Heart London
17/10 – Fuel, Cardiff
18/10 – Kaz Stockroom, Liverpool
19/10 – Corporation, Sheffield
Tickets go on sale 11am Friday 19th August via https://linktr.ee/WeAreDefects
DEFECTS is a collaboration of seasoned young musicians, having collectively released multiple albums worldwide in their former bands and spending years on the road alongside acts such as Iron Maiden, Bring Me The Horizon, Shinedown, Disturbed and Bullet For My Valentine. They released their debut single “Scapegoat” at the tail end of 2021 and following up with “End Of Days” in March of this year, before hitting the road with IN FLAMES as openers on their UK tour. Having spent the summer winning over more fans via appearances at The Great Escape, 2000 Trees, Download Festival and Bloodstock, the band are well prepped for their headline run.
Check out END OF DAYS
DEFECTS are:
Tony Maue – Vocals
Luke Genders – Guitar
James Threadwell – Guitar
Harry Jennings – Drums
David Silver – Bass
