Hey, I like this record. Sure, it's Bay Area thrash but it has enough meat to really get your teeth into. This would no doubt have slipped by the wayside back in the day, the Bay Area scene produced a veritable feast of quality bands, and upon looking back it's a shame more never made it big. Defiance slot in just behind Testament, keeping it real and heavy, especially in the vocal department of Steve Esquivel whose growls are consistent and certainly more layered than you'd expect from most Bay Area thrashers. There's a big Anthrax chug on 'Checkmate', and whilst there's an air of familiarity on the record, this being the band's second release, the musicianship is accomplished and I've heard far worse. It's important that bands such Defiance existed, proof that no-holds barred thrash could stand the test of time because listening to 'Void...' many years later, it still sounds good.
7/10
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