Japanese death metal veterans DEFILED have announced their ninth studio album, Altered State, arriving June 12, 2026 via Season of Mist — and lead single 'Portal' is now streaming.
The album spans 14 tracks, blending blistering technicality with progressive structures and a dystopian atmosphere drawn from George Orwell's 1984. Founding guitarist Yusuke Sumita describes the record as a deliberate departure from genre convention: "Like many other bands, our musical roots are heavily influenced by early '90s death metal and '80s thrash and hardcore, however, our interpretation is different and has branched off from the current scene."
"On Altered State, there are many catchy hooks, but tricky progressive rhythms and song structures can be found as well. The album may not be understandable after a few listens, but it taps into a blind spot that many bands have missed."
Sumita elaborates on the record's scope: "Both musically and lyrically, Altered State is an expansion of The Highest Level and Horror Beyond Horror. The music is a combination of old-school death metal, technical-thrash riffs, and the rhythmic changes of progressive rock."
DEFILED have been one of Japanese extreme metal's most consistent exports since the late 1990s, and Altered State looks to be their most ambitious statement yet.