Letters Home

Like the hardcore band's 2008 release, Travels, Defeater's 2013 outing is an ambitious concept album, which may sound sketchy on paper, but -- considering the success of punk concept records by Green Day and Fucked Up -- may not be such a stretch. Letters Home traces the story of a Jersey native facing the trials and tribulations of World War II, and follows suit as the fourth chapter in their series of albums with the same theme. Like the other three parts, this is a monstrously powerful record filled with anthems and punishing vocals. It can take a while to deconstruct the narrative, but when ignoring the weighty plot, the songs' key themes of mortality, love, and loss still manage to make an impact. ~ Jason Lymangrover