Origin: Canada
Genre: Thrash – Metal
Behind the steel forge Wreck-Defy is guitarist Matt Hanchuck, an absolute pro and jack-of-all-trades who formed the band in 2016 with Justin Stear (vocals and bass, ex-Alphakill) and released four longplayers and an EP in the time until 2022. The thrashers come from Canada, more precisely from Thunder Bay in Ontario and the “Thunder” in Thunder Bay fits like a glove, because when Wreck-Defy let loose no stone remains on the other.
The line-up of the band as of March 2022 consists of Matt Hanchuck, who friends of our label also know from Gutter Creek, guitarist Greg Christian (also active with e.g. Hand of Fire, Power Shift, Trauma and formerly with e.g. Testament), drummer David Allen and Greg “Wags” Wagner on the mic (active with e.g. Breaking the Halo, Wags Metal Inc. and formerly with e.g. British Steek, Archetype, Shatter Messiah).
The line-up underwent a few changes in the past: and comes with changes on two positions for the release of their latest album “The World Enslaved” from 12/2021. On the one hand, ex-Annihilator singer Aaron Randall is no longer singing, but Greg “Wags” Wagner (ex-Archetype, ex-Shatter Messiah), who has a brutally brilliant voice, and on the other hand, studio drummer David Allen will now make sure that even the termites in the neighbor’s grove headbang it.
Line-Up
Matt Hanchuck | Guitar
Greg “Wags” Wagner | vocals
Greg Christian | bass
David Allen | drums
Discography (Longplayer)
Fragments Of Anger | 2017
On October 18, 2017, the Canadian thrashers released “Fragments Of Anger”, their debut album on the Alone Records label from Greece. The debut has eight songs and was praised by the trade press.
Remnants Of Pain | 2019
Via Inverse Records, the follow-up “Remnants Of Pain” was released on Oct. 27, 2019, and featured nine songs that thrash fans from all over the world were delighted to hear.
Powers That Be | 2020
Again in October, more precisely on 09.10.2020 “WD” released their new album “Powers that be” first as a CD on their own and on 27.11.2020 on vinyl by our team of Doc Gator Records. The record came in Black, Orange, Blue and White (US Exclusive) on the metal market and was very well received by fans and press. In our store you can still buy the hot iron: https://www.docgatorshop.com/
The World Enslaved | 2021
Matt Hanchuck himself on the making of the new album:
“The songs for “The World Enslaved” came together very quickly. I had a lot of riffs left over from the last record “Powers That Be” and honestly, when the world stopped for the longest time and I couldn’t play, I just dove into the songwriting and was knee deep in the process of developing the fourth Wreck-Defy album. The lyrics for the new album are mostly steeped in reality. There are some fantasy components as well, but given the state of the world, government corruption, tyranny, lies, falsehoods and greed, there was no shortage of topics for me to write about. The songs were written, arranged and recorded over a period of about three months.”
“The World Enslaved” was recorded in a variety of locations:
The guitar tracks were recorded in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada and Thunder Bay ON, the drum tracks were recorded at Trident Studio in Pacheco California, as were the bass tracks by Greg Christian. The vocals of “Wags” were recorded in Ohio/USA. Guest musician Justin Steer did some of the bass tracks and recorded them in Winnipeg MB. Mixed and mastered “The World Enslaved” was done at Trident Studios in Pacheco California. The awesome artwork was once again designed by Ari Arianthi of Hand Rot Art, who already did a great job on “Powers That Be”.
The release finally came on 12/17/2021 again via our underground label Doc Gator Records, with the difference that we released CD and vinyl (in different colors and limited edition). Here, too, there was terrific press – and fan echo!
Reviews
Fragments Of Anger | 2017
RockHard – 8 points
Justin Stear (v./b.) and Matt Hanchuck (g.) were happy to have prominent drum support for their first album: “Fragments Of Anger” was recorded by ex-Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover (hey, you could activate Eidolon again!). Thus, the right foundation is already ensured, and the duo does the rest dutifully: From WRECK-DEFY there is Thrash with sawing riffs and melodic guitar interludes, which inspires from the spot. The reception for the band has been super so far, so that the first edition of “Fragments Of Anger” is already almost out of stock.
https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/wreck-defy-fragments-of-anger_414452.html
SaitenKult.de – 7 of 10 points
You let the ideas sprout joyfully and the energy level swell. In the end you are happy about thrash bullets, but also about songs of rather power-rock NWoBHM nature. One designs Thrash salvos, which also inspire the neighbor boy with the TESTAMENT shirt and the one with the SACRED REICH cap. You are melodically on the height and just get a few old METAL CHURCH Bermuda wearers in the short-term fan club. Via social media they promote their new club, their young band and get a lot of support for their debut album ‘Fragments Of Anger’. You get plenty of refreshment in the underground, you are into metal archives. One is who. One is WRECK-DEFY.
https://www.saitenkult.de/2018/02/03/wreck-defy-fragments-of-anger/
Remnants Of Pain | 2019
Powermetal.de – 7.5 of 10 points
Who remembers the ANNIHILATOR album “Set The World On Fire” sung by Aaron, will know that the good man can not only give the thrash mutt, but is very well able to give soulful material to the best. So it’s no wonder that there are several balladic passages on this disc and it can also be said that Matt and his celebrity troupe obviously like to take their foot off the gas pedal from time to time. Several times even, because with ‘Looking Back’, ‘The Divine’ and ‘Angels And Demons’ WRECK-DEFY has three semi-ballad tracks up their sleeves, which all have what it takes to make even non-genre contemporaries take notice of the band. Nevertheless, it should be primarily thrash metal fans who will enjoy this disc. Not least because the quartet has some remarkable “wrecking balls” to offer with the aforementioned opener, the SLAYER-infiltrated ‘Art Of Addiction’ as well as the long track ’18oz Of Chrome’.
https://powermetal.de/review/review-Wreck-Defy/Remnants_Of_Pain,36013.html
Powers That Be | 2020
Time for Metal – 7.9 out of 10 points
Powers To Be by Canadians Wreck Defy has some really awesome thrash bangers on a high level.
Darkscene.at (Austria) – 9 of 10 points
Holy shit, it’s been a long time since I was so overwhelmed by an opener as by “Beyond H8”! Somebody must have been fucking loaded when he wrote this song. (…) Besides crude lyrics this is expressed in highly explosive songs like ‘Skin’ or ‘Freedomless Speech’. On the other hand, there are also songs like ‘Drowning In Darkness’ (which is introduced by breaking glass in such a realistic way that you jump around to see what has been broken) and ‘Scumlord’, which are almost laconic.
https://www.darkscene.at/review/8511/wreck-defy-powers-that-be/
Rock Queen Reviews Rock and Metal Reviews – 10 out of 10 stars
Overall – Carrying the now fabulously familiar steel emphasis, like no other, ‘Powers That Be’ is explosively metallic, beyond imagination. Shot through with metal reinforcements, loaded with 100% conviction, it surpasses all others, in power alone. With this new offering, Wreck-Defy have excelled, securing their extraordinarily heavy signature sound, in metal media minds, forever.
https://jennytate.wordpress.com/2020/09/17/wreck-defy-powers-that-be/
The World Enslaved | 2021
Obliveon – 8.5 out of 10 points
(…) like its predecessor, this iron is a thrash sledgehammer in front of the Lord. Hanchuck seems to be more pissed off than ever and gives free rein to his aggression on the ten songs. Delicious how he makes fun in ‘Fashionably Offended’ about the many people who feel attacked by everything and everyone and like to act as moralizers especially in the social networks.
https://obliveon.de/review/wreck-defy-the-world-enslaved/
Neckbreaker.com – 8.5 out of 10 points
Band head Matt Hanchuck sends a new drummer (David Allen) and especially a new singer into the race for the fourth album. It concerns ex-ARCHETYPE/SHATTER MESSIAH tube Greg Wagner. With him WRECK-DEFY clearly win, because he is able to sing both evil and highly melodic. Besides various wrecking balls also semi-ballad material comes to bear. This provides for variety and also the well-placed tempo changes keep the songs always exciting and do not let something like boredom arise. I also have to mention the great cover artwork by Ari Arianthi (Hand Rot Art) and it comes across even more awesome in vinyl format. By the way, LPs are available as 180g double album in black and also in multicolor. You can rely on Doc Gator Records. (Ralf)
https://neckbreaker.de/reviews/cd-reviews/12980-wreck-defy-the-world-enslaved
SaitenKult.de – 9 of 10 points
All in all ‘The World Enslaved’ is a diversified and exciting, very strong (not only) Thrash Metal album. Besides the already mentioned tracks, the second single ‘Obey’ and the rough ‘Form Of Release’ should be mentioned. But I want to recommend the album in its entirety. It is perhaps also a good means, especially now in December, not to land in the WHAMageddon. And it would be hardly surprising if a few people now revise their annual best lists.
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Underground4560
Bandcamp: https://wreck-defy.bandcamp.com/
Freedomless Speech – Official Lyric Video
Obey (Official Lyric Video) || Doc Gator Records
Bring It All Down – Official Lyric Video
Powers That Be – Official Lyric Video