The Defiled
London four-piece blending hardcore, metal and electronic music.
The Defiled were a four-piece London band blending groove-heavy hardcore and metal with electronic elements. Kerrang! called them "the saviours of UK Metal," and Metal Hammer ranked them among the leaders of a new British metal wave, alongside While She Sleeps, Bury Tomorrow, and Devil Sold His Soul. They built their following by opening for Murderdolls, Static-X, Godsmack, Deathstars, and Motionless in White, and by playing Bloodstock, Download, and Sonisphere.
Formed in 2005, they quickly gained a reputation for chaotic, high-energy live shows, notably during their "Black Death Tour," which ended with a sold-out London gig at the Underworld. After circulating sought-after demos, they released their first EP, *1888*, in 2009. Their debut album, *Grave Times*, was given away free in Metal Hammer’s January issue; its deluxe edition, which included a bonus disc, the *1888 ReWorks* EP, and two music videos, came out on 14 February 2011. They headlined the Jägermeister stage at Sonisphere in July 2011 and opened the main stage at Bloodstock that August, earning a nomination for Best New British Band at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods.
In 2012, they opened the Jägermeister Music Tour at Brixton Academy, supporting Black Spiders, Therapy?, and Skindred, played South By South West in a Metal Hammer showcase, and performed on Download’s Third Stage. Paul "Needles" White became their 12th drummer in March 2012, replacing J.C. That June, they won Best New Band at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods. They funded their second album via PledgeMusic, recording in Florida with producer Jason Suecof, and also released a live album of *Grave Times* performed in full. They supported DragonForce and Alestorm in autumn 2012, and were announced for the 2013 Jägermeister UK Tour with Gojira and Ghost. In early 2013, they supported Bury Tomorrow across Europe, premiered the song "Sleeper" on BBC Radio One, and signed to Nuclear Blast for their second album, *Daggers*. After intimate UK shows, they expanded to a full tour and a slot at Crooked Ways Festival. On the eve of their first US tour with Davey Suicide and The Bunny The Bear—including a Vans Warped Tour date in St Petersburg—they released the *Grave Times Live* album to PledgeMusic backers.
- Formed
- 2005
- Origin
- London, England
- Genre
- Hardcore/metal with electronic music influences
- Years active
- 2005–2016
- Label
- Self-released (early works); Nuclear Blast (from 2013 onward)
- Last lineup
- Stitch D, The AvD, Vincent Hyde, Paul 'Needles' White
Lore & Background
The Defiled formed in 2005 and quickly gained a reputation for energetic and chaotic live shows, including a sold-out London show at the Underworld as part of their 'The Black Death Tour'. They released their first EP, 1888, in 2009, and their full album Grave Times was given away for free in the January issue of Metal Hammer. The deluxe edition of Grave Times, which included a bonus disc, the 1888 ReWorks EP and two music videos, was released on 14 February 2011. In 2011 they headlined the Jägermeister stage at Sonisphere and opened the main stage at Bloodstock Open Air, and were nominated for Best New British Band at the Metal Hammer 2011 Golden Gods awards.
In 2012 the band opened for the Jägermeister Music tour at Brixton Academy, performed a
Reader's Guide
The Defiled are significant as a band that bridged hardcore, metal and electronic music during a period when British metal was undergoing a resurgence. Their recognition by Kerrang! and Metal Hammer placed them among a new wave of British metal alongside While She Sleeps, Bury Tomorrow and Devil Sold His Soul. Their achievement of having more preorders for the deluxe edition of Grave Times than both Rob Zombie and Foo Fighters indicates a strong fanbase, and their nomination and subsequent win of Best New Band at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards in 2011 and 2012 respectively marked them as a notable act of the era. Their legacy includes being the first band to perform on a free-floating iceberg, a feat that gained them entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. Though the band disbanded in 2016 due to financial unsustainability, members continued in other projects: Stitch D fronts Lowlives in America under the stage name Lee Villain, and Alex Avdis plays in Red Method.
Did You Know?
- The Defiled became the first band ever to play on a free-floating iceberg, filming a 30-minute set in Greenland in September 2014.
- The deluxe edition of their album Grave Times had more preorders than both Rob Zombie and Foo Fighters.
- The band's influences, as cited by Stitch D, include Nine Inch Nails, Slayer, Nirvana, Ministry, Machine Head and Freddy Krueger.
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