Review: Defect Designer – Depressants

Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 15th May 2026 I reviewed the last record from Norwegian mindbenders Defect Designer here, and ‘Chitin’ had begun to experiment outside of the usual progressive death metal circles but it is Obituary-like compared to the band’s newest effort, ‘Depressants’, an album that seems determined to have something for literally every heavy music fan. ‘Depressants’ is out now through Transcending Obscurity. Defect Designer were always a bit weird, but ‘Depressants’ has taken them completely off the deep end. This is an album loaded with as much jagged mathcore and angular hardcore as progressive death metal, as well as numerous jazzy detours, doom and even some country moments. ‘Daily Dose of Gloom’ is a frenzied, almost bouncy death metal track beset by fearsome angular riffs and guttural roars, while ‘Butterfly Juice Straws’ could be 90s alternative meets Botch. ‘Repeated Aversive Stimuli Inducer’ starts with a little country moment before exploding into…