[in] DEFENZA transforms contemporary chaos into social critique on the album The Parasite of the Galaxy

The band [in] DEFENZA releases, on May 30th, the album O Parasita da Galáxia (The Parasite of the Galaxy), a work that combines heaviness, melody, and social critique in a conceptual narrative about the course of humanity. With influences from punk, hardcore, metal, and pop-punk, the album addresses themes such as environmental collapse, inequality, technological advancement, and the illusion of security in the face of global crises. In an interview, the group talks about the collective creative process, the construction of a visceral sound, and the intention to transform political and social anxieties into intense, provocative, and current music.

“The Galaxy Parasite” stems from a very strong critique of the false sense of security in the face of a collapsing world. What concerns did you all begin to address when this album started to take shape?

The album stems from observing daily life, news reports, and the political and social landscape in which Brazil and many other countries find themselves, in conflict with an apathetic, selfish, and constantly alienated population.

You describe the opening of the album almost as an open letter to the rulers and powerful figures of the planet. What else was urgently needed to be said through this manifesto?

Many things, this track is the shortest on the album but could easily be the longest, as the absurdities are daily occurrences and the list of recipients of the message is almost endless. We tried to keep this “prologue” as playful as possible, so that it would be general and straight to the point.

Nowadays, global chaos fuels mental chaos and vice versa. It’s important to be aware of what makes us who we are. Indefenza isn’t just a critical band; we’re friends and we play mainly for fun, which becomes a little difficult when all our songs have this “pessimistic” vibe. But in real life, we have jobs, relationships, and affections, just like every human being, and if there’s criticism, it’s with the intention of preserving all of that context.

The title track presents the image of a survivor wandering other planets in search of resources, in dialogue with this idea of ​​a “second chance” beyond Earth. What does this metaphor say to you about the present state of humanity?

This song carries with it a kind of “prediction,” given the neoliberal modus operandi reproduced in much of the world today. It’s a playful way of representing the colonialist and exploitative ideal (in various senses) that has governed humanity in recent centuries, leaving the question: Perhaps in a few thousand years, one of us might be invading and plundering resources from prosperous exoplanets, but we prefer to be wrong about that.

We believe that this “disenchantment” is precisely what gives meaning to each song; it’s the sense of urgency that makes everything more dynamic and visceral; it’s precisely the everyday disappointments that bring about the need to create incisive lyrics and energetic instrumentals.

Sonically, the album seems to balance heaviness, melody, speed, and a very visceral vocal. How do you construct this sound so that it not only accompanies but amplifies the power of the lyrics?

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This comes from the different influences we have among us, from traditional hardcore to pop-punk, countless branches of rock and metal, hip hop, and even a bit of shoegaze. Each of us brings our own musical background, and we refine it together, trying to give it identity, power, and originality. We hope we’ve succeeded!

If you stop to listen to our first EP, “Animals Wandering in Space,” you’ll notice that the shortest song is longer than the longest song on the new album. This is the main difference between our older and newer works. Living in what’s called the “attention economy” made us understand that to spread the message, we needed to be much more direct.

Amidst so much social, technological, and existential criticism, the album also sounds like an invitation to reflection. When someone finishes listening to “The Parasite of the Galaxy,” what would you most like to remain: discomfort, awareness, identification, or a desire to react?

A little bit of everything, we believe that the collective is made up of individuals, so all of society is formed by billions of brains. If we can trigger synapses and create a little awareness and willingness to react in each person who listens to us, we are already fulfilling a good part of the mission.