Void Terra Firma

In a time when I bought about every thrash album I could get my hands on (yes, the days of tape trading and visiting the local store 5 times a week) I also got to know Defiance through their Product of Society debut. Their second album ’ Void Terra Firma’ is one of those Bay Area releases I often forget ever existed. I had that one only on tape, listened to it a couple of times, thought it was nothing more than nice and soon realised there were just too many better thrash metal albums around. Now that I have the ‘Insomnia’ box I finally have an original copy and played it more regularly the last few years. I can’t say it grew on me.

Biggest problem on ‘Void Terra Firma’ are the vocals. I don’t know what Steev Esquivel, who had replaced Ken Elkinton, tries to do, but he sounds like a talentless nephew of Chuck Billy.
Defiance have always been about obviously cloning the bigger Bay Area bands plus Metallica and when listening ‘Deception Of Faith’ the desire to have ‘And Justice for All’ rhythms really shines through. Because of the flat guitar sound and dull vocals however the song pretty much fails. Which is a pity really since the riffs and composition deserved more.

The album has mid paced section, thrash breaks, fast parts, gang shouts, you name it. On paper everything you could ask for, but the songs are just not that memorable. I have always had the feeling much more could’ve been happening for Defiance if they’d had a better songwriter and vocalist in their midst. You know, Defiance had a better drummer than Testament but Testament wrote better songs etcetera.

What do you recall after the album is finished? The funny screams on ‘Slayground’ for instance. But such cute little details aren’t enough to consider ‘Void Terra Firma’ an important Bay Area release. Oh, and I’m not going to elaborate on the Iron Maiden cover. Yes I am! It sucks. It’s tame, it’s flat, it’s badly sung. Brrr, the horror.

I’ll stick to ‘Product of Society’ and if you want to hear an album with the same kind of riffing and attitude from 1990 but better vocals and songs, I strongly advice you get your hands on Xentrix’ ‘For Whose Advantage’. British, I know, but a better album nonetheless!