Official press release:

Hertfordshire based alternative metal band Defences announce their new album In The Balance set for release on 15th October 2021. The band also reveals the abrasive, beautiful and confrontational new single “False Gods” out now on all streaming platforms. Fans can pre-order/pre-save the album HERE.

In The Balance arrives as a snapshot of primary lyricist and vocalist Cherry Duesbury’s experiences over the last few years; Glancing over the inevitable difficulties of a global pandemic as well as several pivotal cultural events. “We wrote this because we need to,” exclaims Cherry. In The Balance is the result of Defences looking for hope in the stark realities of life, facing them head-on to find positivity.

Co-vocalist William Alex Young notes:

“A lot of the lyrics are based on internal struggles.”

It’s a snapshot in time, looking at humanity in both its glory and its struggles. Cherry adds:

“It’s incredibly honest. It’s the most honest I have ever been in terms of lyrics.”

There’s a universality to this honestly with the band’s latest offering “False Gods”. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Cherry uses her personal reaction to comment on all humanity. She recalls:

“I was listening to Calum’s demo on repeat around that time. I didn’t plan on writing about it at all. It was the day after a protest on this hill that I used to spend my Friday nights on as a teenager. It was packed full of people, and when I saw these pictures and videos I started crying. I couldn’t believe there were so many people this close to home showing their support. It made me think about how we are all just human. So, I wanted to write a song about humans, and calling some of them out for the way they have been behaving.”

This hope bubbles under the very surface of In The Balance and underpins Defences’ attitude as a band. The songs emerge as a celebration of how humans deal with things that happen in their lives, how they understand and acknowledge those experiences, and what ultimately can be learned from them. And they do so with a powerful energy that perfectly blends the dual vocals with down-tuned instrumentation.

Joining several strong contemporaries, it continues their evolution from any norms in alternative metal. The guitars are heavier, the screams louder, but there’s still space for the melody to drive it forward. The album revels on both its energy and passion, yet lands on genuine positivity.

Cherry looks back at the hourglass, the heart, and the scales of justice emblazoned on the album’s artwork commenting:

“It’s a time capsule of this moment in our lives, in any life. It’s about the experiences, the difficulties, the struggles that we all go through, and the eventual hope that we find.”

In The Balance track listing:

  1. “Something More”
  2. “Say It”
  3. “Voices”
  4. “In The Black”
  5. “The Heart”
  6. “False Gods”
  7. “Blue Candour”
  8. “For What It’s Worth”
  9. “Ocean Floor”
  10. “Little Light”
  11. “Meant To Be”

Defences is:

Cherry Duesbury – vocals
William Alex Young – screams
Calum Wilmot – guitar
Ian “Harri” Harrington – bass
Kyle Parke – drums