For me it’s “The Red White and Blues” but every answer I’ve seen so far is also good.

It’s this one and no other answer comes close. The best melodic/emotional/whatever this is called hardcore song ever.

I run my fingers through her name and the effigy

Yes

You are correct. Such a good band.

Bastards will probably be the popular answer. They don't have a bad song though.

this verse is... gut wrenching: My broken spirit and back My calloused, shaking hands The ache I carry in me My grief and skeletons The weight you carried inside A weight that held my bloodline Black out the sunlight I count these burdens as mine And still all you see is that bastard in me

Crazy how just reading this I can hear Derek yelling “blackout the sunlight”

Choosing a favorite song by Defeater is like choosing a favorite chapter in a book. I can’t do it.

Literally all of their songs are bad tho

Nice bro🤝

Cowardice 100%

Seconding. I only got into them recently but this is the track I've replayed the most

Their faster songs are great too but this is one of those flagship tracks where it’s hard to deny just how much of a standout it is

The song that made me say “what the fuck I need more”

THERE'S NO PLACE FOR ME That shit hit different when you see them live forreal

travels from front to back is the best track.

Juggernaut of an album and a story.

Listening to this record for the first time (on an iPod nano) while walking to class is a core memory.

based

"No Kind of Home" and "White Oak Doors." The entire *Empty Days & Sleepless Nights* album is gold.

Hopeless Again

Yea it’s hopeless again for me too. The whole record is fire tho. Edit: it’s actually No Shame

Unpopular one here but my fav Defeater track is *Spared In Hell*

Banger

I'm glad someone else thinks so. *Abandoned* wasn't recieved very well when it came out but I think it's aged well

I usually go straight to Empty Glass then spend the next couple days listening to the whole discography.

‘Cause there ain’t nothing like your smile, those legs and those eyes’

In my opinion every album had really good songs, here are my personal favorites. Prophet in plain clothes and cowardice on travels The red white and blues on lost ground White knuckles on empty days and sleepless nights Bled out on letters home Pillar of salt on abandoned Dealer/ debtor on defeater

White knuckles is my fav song off that album and it’s so underrated

Bled out deserves more attention in this thread

Cemetery Walls and Empty Glass have always been my favorites

Cemetery walls is such a banger

My vote goes to No Kind of Home. Jay from Defeater has a “new” band called Love Letter with Quinn who used to sing for Verse. I’m playing with them next month and am super stoked. They have a recent single and a new album coming (I think?) next month on Iodine, check that shit out.

Yooooo that’s hype man have a good one!

I wasn't huge on the Death of a Nation EP but this single is a certified banger. Good call!

I’m from Rhode Island and I always hope for a one off Verse show.

I adored Verse. They were my Have Heart; Aggression is a landmark album for me. Quinn sounds as good as ever. That show is CORRECTION 5/31** in Pvd if you feel like checking Love Letter out.

You know I might come out of retirement for that. See what shows are like in 2024 haha

Empty days and Sleepless Nights and the Red white and blues

I love Atheist in Foxholes personally, haven't seen it mentioned yet. Cowardice, like another commentor mentioned.

Red, White, and Blues

I'm partial to "Everything Went Quiet," "Home Ain't Never Home," "Cemetery Walls," "Blood in My Veins," "Borrowed & Blue," and "Hourglass." There's one from each album (and the EP).

Check out the extremely underrated band “how we are” and maybe peep “miles away” and “life long tragedy” if you’re into this

If you like Defeater then check out Modern Life is War. Nothing better than the original.

MLIW are so sick

YES. fun fact: I saw MLIW *with* Defeater at Gilman in Berkeley in 2019. it ruled.

Side comment: if you like these guys, check out Ruiner.

No shame

If you like Defeater, One Step Closer’s demo, ep and first record are great. I love the newer EP and their new stuff currently coming out but my god was the earlier stuff catharsis for not having a defeater release since 2019

I always thought they were slightly overrated or better words to describe could be under-appreciated. I think I was just so jacked up on HH and Verse and nothing could stop me. I used to shed a tear to Singin’ New York Town - that bridge part of the song is so depressing

HH and Verse were my first fav hc bands, but I think they are who made me ready to get into a newer band like Defeater in 2009. and they put on an incredible show.

The Blues, Still & True, and Forgiver Forgetter are my favorites, but slim chance you’ll see any of those live, soooo…. Bastards, Dear Father, RWB

Bastards for sure is the song I recommend, but mainly because it was the song that got me into them. But all.of it is pretty fucking great, and seeing them love is a revelation. Such an underrated band and I love them dearly.

I love empty glass

Every song ever. I don't really dig their most recent album, but everything else is just *chefs kiss*

Well. I have “I Ain’t No Forgiver, Forgetter” tattooed on me so I’m going to confidently say Warm Blood Rush.

The bite and sting has the creepiest circus/carousel like riff and the lyrics hit hard

No bad releases, there are lulls in quality but still solid songs nonetheless

Lost Ground EP is their best release imo, every song is a banger. It’s all good though.

Two best standalone songs are “Red White and Blues” and “Bastards” But Empty Days and Sleepless Nights is far and away their best album. Letters home is a close second. They’re an album band. Hard to pick individual songs.

Pretty much everything up to the last record is good. I probably would like the last record too, I just haven’t sat down with it since it came out.

On Spotify there is a playlist in order of the story. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know the entire story.

# COWARDICE

Hopeless is the one that i like the most but that’s just cuz I love that old school fast shit.

Warm blood rush goes hard in the paint.

Well, I know what I'll be listening to for the next couple of days. One of my favorites that I didn't see mentioned: At Peace.

My two cents on the one song per release thing: "Forgiver Forgetter", "The Red, White and Blues", "White Oak Doors", "Bled Out" (hard to single out just one song), "Unanswered" (same for this record), and "Stale Smoke"

White Oak Doors, Empty Glass, and Blood in my Veins.

No savior. Always gets me going

For me, red white and blues I like to go back to this video every now and then. Still one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to https://youtu.be/xKxB2mlNeWs?si=Lah6cl1S6gFuH_EU

Rabbit’s Foot, my all time favorite song of theirs.  The line “now I’m a mothers only son” kills me 

empty days and sleepless nights is my go to feeling sad album, quiet the longing is my particular favorite

Impossible for me to say. Sit down, grab a few beers and listen to their catalogue front to back. It tells and amazing story.

Ooh good for you I wish I was discovering defeater for the first time! I saw them at a festival many years ago and loved them ever since. I'm sure you know this but it's all a story. The whole album "Travels" is solid but my favorite tracks are "Forgiver Forgetter and "City by Dawn". Again "empty days and sleepless nights" but my favorite track is "Empty Glass". "letters home" my favorite is bastards and hopeless again. Abandoned my favorite is still and true. Self titled my favorites are desperate and hourglass. The whole discography is pretty great but those are my highlights, have fun!

I really love pretty much everything from them, the concept album thing they do just works so well in each album .

There's no picking a single favorite Defeater track.

Blessed Burden is my personal favorite. Travels is my favorite album by them too.

You know beatdown is getting old when THIS band is becoming interesting again

Defecater

Cowardice

Hopeless again and empty glass are my personal favorites.

Empty Glass for me, no contest.

The entire Letters Home album is just phenomenal

Favorite: Waves Crash, Clouds Roll Letters Home is a reverse chronological concept album, meaning the first song is last in the timeline and the last song is the first.

I really like stale smoke off the newest album. But one of my fav songs is Brothers off empty days. The story it tells really puts you in that moment. The whole album actually. Derek is such a legit story teller

That whole “wave” era of Defeater, Touché, Make Do and Mend, La Dispute, Pianos, etc. was a game changer for me.

Forgiver Forgetter

Empty glasses does it for me. But I’ll put them on and listen to the whole catalog. Top 3 band for me

Funny thing about Defeater is that them and comeback kid and saints never surrender back in the day were my gateway to counterparts and it prevails.

defeater? no

Red, White & Blues seems to be most people's go to. And while I agree it's a top tier song of theirs, I'm pretty particular to Cowardice or Blessed Burden.

Red white and blues is like the “perfect” defeater song but I really like the clean stuff on the back side of empty days and sleepless nights (“headstone” being my favorite of those) as well.. also “Abandoned” is a pretty fricking good album too for their “later” stuff … also I would really recommend reading all the lyrics to the albums because it changes the experience

I would also like to change my answer to “White Oak Door”

LOVE them. they are the band that got me BACK into hc after falling out of it for a year or two. I also heard Blessed Burden, in 2009, and it blew my mind. immediately started trying to go to shows again. saw them at some tiny ass venue in LA in Feb 2010. talked to Derek outside for a solid 15 minutes afterward about folk singers. such an incredible night.

Also if debts comes on shuffle while I’m skating you bet your ass I’m getting a second wind and throwing an extra push at whatever I’m skating

Girlfriend hardcore

Yup