Destruction

Z7 Konzertfabrik, Pratteln, Switzerland

Two straight hours of relentless Teutonic thrash.

For devotees of German thrash metal, it’s a joy that its Big Three bands Kreator, Destruction and Sodom are not only still making music and playing shows but also doing so in a thoroughly convincing manner.

Not even the pandemic can stop Destruction tonight, as they play a big, empty venue with a full stage production, broadcasting across the globe to payers. Technically the stream goes smoothly, and VIP ticket holders also get to see brief backstage interviews.

A two-hour thrash set might normally outstay its welcome, but after nine months of virtually no live action this one feels like a feast. The band revisit most phases of their 39-year career, from the first mini-album’s Total Desaster (sic), through such early classics as Curse The Gods and Life Without Sense, plus rarely played technical work-outs Reject Emotions and Sign Of Fear, all the way through to post-millennial highlights like profane anthem Nailed To The Cross and the pounding title-track of the band’s most recent record, 2018’s Born To Perish.

This jubilant event effectively makes the case that online shows could remain a valid thing even post-pandemic. Admittedly the lack of applause inevitably feels weird, but bass-toting frontman Schmier wisely addresses online viewers rather than some imaginary concert audience. Back on the plus side, the toilet queues are virtually non-existent.