If But for One

Detritus returned after a 3 year hiatus on the recording front. Now signed to R.E.X. Records, it is a more mature band standing behind this sophomore release. It's still the same British sounding thrash that lay down the cornerstones for 'If But For One' as it was on 'Perpetual Defiance'. And in 1993 this style was a dying breed.

'If Bur For One' sports a better production, so the album is not as "muddy" sounding as the debut. The band is also experimenting a little more with their sound here, delivering a lot more time changes, and adding slower, somber, acoustic parts to their otherwise galloping thrash metal. Vocally Mark switches between the rapid-fire thrash signature and a more gloomy delivery. His voice is always recognizable whatever style he is using. The experimental side is going really awry in the pirate-themed "Sailor's Farewell". This could have been a fun single B-side. But putting it as one of the middle songs on the album was a bad idea.

I spent a lot more time getting into 'If But For One'. The songs aren't as in your face, and you might have to weed through the various textures and layers of the songs. And even though the songwriting is more varied this time around, I still find it to be just a a tad more samey then its predecessor. I prefer the full-on thrash metal songs, such as "Let Peace Begin With Me" and the title track. Thus personal taste will be the judge on whether you prefer this album to the first.

Killer songs: Let Peace Begin With Me, If But For One

Detritus was a thrash metal Christian band which put out only 2 albums: Perpetual Defiance and If but for one. Following the traces of fellowmen Seventh Angel they took a lot of influences from Xentrix, Sodom, Metallica, Megadeth, etc.


When Perpetual Defiance is nothing but a Master of Puppets clone; If But For One resembles very much to ‘And Justice…’ except for the progressive elements. The lyrical content I would say is very good, very melancholic and profound and I disagree 100% those people who say the Christian lyrics don’t fit metal music because that is nothing but a complete nonsense and lack of musical knowledge. On the other hand we get straight-to-the-point songs as in the title track but the soft lyrical side shows off in Subtle Shades and As It Rains where we get very good lyrics very emotional (who said music was only about bad language and Satanism?)


Before the first song opens let me tell you that the distortion and the riffing is ala And Justice by all means. Masquerade opens and honestly I don’t like the acoustic intro and much less the pace of the song due to unmelodic integration of the main riff and the drums. So Far Away follows and begins with a mysterious gloomy acoustic guitar and a sad growly voice to set the mood but when the riffing comes in the song kicks ass. Double bass and tempo changes with the ‘Xentrix’ voice just rocks out. The riffing here is very cool so this is one of the highlights of the album.


D.G.I.M opens and again we get very calm guitars and then the mid tempo pace comes in with much textured riffing ala Metallica again. These songs are very technical and they don’t have the speed of Slayer but the tempo changes give you the chance to admire the good technical skills of the guys as musicians and composers. The songs follow more and less the same pattern and structure. Even so we get some things interesting to note. If But For One is obviously the heaviest track with uptempo pace thoroughout the song, drums rolls everywhere and slowing down at the end. The vocals here are higher like Mustaine but the guy here HAS power. He even incorporates some growling oh and don’t miss, there is a piano at the end to go along with the guitars to give more feeling to this awesome song. A perfect title track I must say. Within the rest of the songs we get saxo solo and acoustic ballads (very much ala Seventh Angel but a complete song instead of just a passage). Blindly Rejected shows the vocals very much like James Hetfield in AJFA once more where the song is pretty much a ballad. Sailors Farewell is much like the old tavern song where you sit with all your friends to listen to metal and have a beer. The vocals are raspier and we get exquisite double bass drums with melodic guitars all around which for a mid tempo song was a successful mix. The last songs are mid tempo and in Painted Reality the solo is very Megadeth ‘Cryptic Writings’ era (jaja yes, a little ahead don’t you think but listen to it). Subtle Shades closes as a very soft and calm acoustic ballad and soft almost whispering vocals and it is ok after the delicious riffing feast we just had.


I need to say that Perpetual Defiance had a cool cover but in here, again, as if the 90’s music not was garbage enough we get the cover which is nothing but the band logo with some grey title track letters. Horrible less to say.


A very good and strong album this is and a standard for Christian music that has gone really expensive. By 1993 speed metal was almost gone so this remains a very high quality record among the shitty music from the 90’s. With this Detritus gave us one of the lasts solid thrash albums coming from Europe to really start headbanging and enjoying what speed metal/thrash were all about.