From the outset it’s clear where Southampton-based five-piece Deference take influence from. Opening track ‘Scavengers’ could’ve been lifted straight from an Architects album; starting with a shout of ‘bleugh’, a sound that has become a signature of Architects front-man Sam Carter, the track rifles through low end, punchy riffs that their peers would be proud of. ‘False Awakening’ gets off to an aggressive start and thanks to the effective riffs and solid groove, it’s a very good one.
‘Insomnia’ follows with a sound that’s more its own. It contains the staple ingredients of heavy riffs and screamed vocals, but there are welcome embellishments from a lead guitar and a smattering of clean vocal parts that start to give the record its own flavour.
Opening with some uplifting synth chords, ‘Departure’ is less hard hitting and the clean vocal parts are safe and predictable, relegating this track to middle-of-the-road territory. The synth effects take ‘Departure’ closer to Bring Me the Horizon’s ‘Sempiternal’ and it lacks the power of the other songs around it. By stark contrast, the emotive and memorable vocal arrangements of ‘False Awakening’ elevate it to the stand-out moment of the EP. The instrumentation is back to its heavy best and its fast pace combines well with the vocals.
The record ends as it began with a strong Architects influence. A John F. Kennedy quote about the follies of war permeates stripped-back, atmospheric guitars and the effect is reminiscent of Alan Watts’ wise words running through Memento Mori from Architects’ ‘All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us’. Furthermore, the final notes of ‘Becoming Death Pt. 2’ match those of ‘Devil’s Island’, a song that saw Architects speaking out against the mindless nature of the London riots in 2011. Though these influences are strong and clear, they’ve been used tastefully and close out the record in an atmospheric, reflective mood.
‘False Awakening’ has a strong foundation shaped by some clear influences but that’s starting to develop a personality of its own. There are many bands in this genre that are alike and to ensure longevity, any contenders need to have unique characteristics to set themselves apart. This EP shows enough evidence that Deference are capable of doing so and as long as the band continue to balance their influences with their own creativity, they’ll be around for some time to come.
MARK JOHNSON