17 studio albums in and veteran thrash metal legends Destruction are showing no signs of slowing down. Their latest album “Born To Perish” is further proof that if you have something good that you run with it and it also further cements their legacy as a band who remain as relevant as ever.
After taking some time to sink into this latest album from the German outfit (now a 4 piece with the inclusion of a second guitarist, Damir Eskic) as well as having a chat recently with frontman Schmier about the new songs, the resulting conclusion is that Destruction have truly come up with some of their best work to date. That’s a big call for a band whose history goes back as far as 1982 which is pretty much at the forefront of thrash metal along with the greats like Metallica, Kreator and Slayer and for any band whose past always seems to stick with fans more than their later part of their career. Destruction may be part of what’s known as the Teutonic 4 but I always felt they were understated and this latest album showcases that even further.
The first taste we had from the album was the title track and right off the bat it’s full steam ahead. Immediately you hear the impact of drummer Randy Black, best known for his work with Annihilator and second guitarist Damir Eskic for added muscle in the guitar department. The raw power of Destruction’s signature sound which I witnessed first hand at their show last year in Perth is captured brilliantly here on record, a feat many fail to deliver on all accounts and admitedly something Destruction have been pursuing for some time.
Old school thrasher “Inspired By Death” is a galloping tour de force and something that becomes prevalent through out the album, especially on tracks like “We Breed Evil” which has a killer groove to it. The bands influences and throwbacks to the past can also be found here in bits and pieces, there’s a bit of Motorhead on “Filthy Wealth” and even tinges of power metal on “Betrayal” but the core sound of Destruction never strays too far off from the old beaten path forged almost 4 decades ago.
One of the best moments on the album however is the epic “Tyrants Of The Netherworld“, a relentless brutal assault that mixes all the right ingredients, hooks, riffs and memorable elements together into one perfect track. It is also one of the fastest laid down by the German thrashers, as confirmed by Schmier himself and clearly Randy Black had his work cut out for him in what could be perceived as his cherry popping moment.
Overall “Born To Perish” will stand out as one of the albums of the year for me and in my humble opinion, one of the strongest pieces of work from Destruction to date. Again a big call to make for such a veteran act who already has so many albums to go back to but when music is this good, the call has to be made.
9/10
TRACKLIST
Born To Perish
Inspired By Death
Betrayal
Rotten
Filthy Wealth
Butchered For Life
Tyrants Of The Netherworld
We Breed Evil
Fatal Flight 17
Ratcatcher
