DEFIANCE Plays First Show In 15 Years; Video Available

December 21, 2009

Reunited Oakland, California thrashers DEFIANCE played their first show since 1994 this past Saturday, December 19 at Blake's on Telegraph in Berkeley, California.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

DEFIANCE's current lineup includes the band's latest additions, Shawn Bozarth on guitar, Keven Albert (formerly with KAOS) on vocals and Andrew Byrne on drums.

Mark Hernandez (drums) and Steev Esquivel (vocals) recently left DEFIANCE to concentrate on their primary bands, FORBIDDEN and SKINLAB, respectively.

DEFIANCE's new album, "The Prophecy", was released on October 19 via Candlelight Records. The first collection of new music from DEFIANCE in over 15 years was recorded at Trident Studios and Greendot Studios in East Bay, California.

An e-card for "The Prophecy" can be accessed at this location.

The cover artwork by Travis Smith (OPETH, NEVERMORE) of Seempieces can be viewed below.

Part of the so-called "second wave" of Bay Area thrash (which also included the likes of FORBIDDEN, VIO-LENCE, DEATH ANGEL, and TESTAMENT),DEFIANCE officially disbanded in 1993 after the departure of vocalist Steev Esquivel (who would go on to form SKINLAB, and later RE:IGNITION),while the remaining members, with the addition of vocalist Dave Godfrey White (HEATHEN),formed INNER THRESHOLD, which would also eventually disband.

In 2005, rumors of a reformed DEFIANCE sent waves of interest through the burgeoning thrash metal community until it was finally confirmed that the band had in fact reunited and were at work on their first new material in over a decade.

New DEFIANCE lineup from left to right: Shawn Bozarth, Mike Kaufmann, Jim Adams, Andrew Byrne, Keven Albert (photo taken by Mike Miller)

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