Review by Fran on January 31, 2026.

While “Chapters Of Repugnance” was an inferior follow-up to “Psalms Of The Moribund” because it is simpler and more straightforward, almost a regression to “Prelude To The Tragedy”, “Passages Into Deformity” took the band to the next level in terms of songwriting complexity and technicality. In this record, we can hear how the band went back to the jazzy experiments they did on Psalms and how they developed those textures even further. Take, for example, the second track, 'Naraka'; how the rhythmic tension is super dynamic and shifts from ultra-fast blast beat sections to breakdowns in a volatile fashion, leaving room for moody bass solos and acid guitar chords in the background. All of this is achieved without losing focus on brutality. I might add I had the privilege to watch Defeated Sanity on May 3rd, and they opened the show with 'Initiation-Naraka', back to back... I almost lost my shit. It was amazing and sounded just like the record.

Lille Gruber is undoubtedly one of the best extreme metal drummers for years now, and this album is proof. The way he dominates the double bass drum and the athletic blast beat sections and drum fills is otherworldly to some, but in his case it’s just the matrix that will eventually progress into asymmetrical patterns over odd time signatures full of syncopes and abrupt silences. The cymbal work is also world-class, and the way the toms are tuned a little bit higher really helps them cut through the bassy sound of the strings, also adding to that flashy feel the band has. Technical prowess with taste is a good way to define his playing and the sound of the band in general. I remember him watching the rest of the bands on the Costa Rican date of the tour, and he never dropped the drumsticks; he was warming up the whole show, that’s what I call work ethics.

The same can be said about Jacob Schmidt and his Modulus 5-string bass, calibrated with low action for maximum speed and precision. His bass fills on Psalms revolutionized the sound of the band and made them stand out from the regular brutal death metal bands, but on this record he surpassed himself, not only in a mechanical way but by painting some serious landscapes of absolute dementia with his decorations, which weren’t heard on the band’s previous efforts. Needless to say, the rhythmic section of Defeated Sanity takes the spotlight. The guitar work on this record is excellent as well, but it's somehow limited to supporting the rhythm section with riffs, and that’s perfectly fine; it’s not like there is room for guitar leads on these tracks, maybe some sweep picking licks here and there, and that’s it. As per the vocals, they are pretty much what you can expect from a brutal death metal band: well executed, ultra-low gutturals. After 12 years, this is still my favorite DS release, and I would recommend it to any brutal death metal fans that might want to dig further into madness.

Rating: 10 out of 10