DESTRUCTION
NUCLEAR BLAST Germany’s speed metal kings come back harder Born To Perish
IT’S TESTAMENT To heavy metal’s atavistic instincts and respect for longevity that much of the most exciting music right now is being made by gnarled veterans. Destruction have barely put a scabby foot wrong since Schmier rejoined the band for 2000’s All Hell Breaks Loose, but even by the Germans’ own standards, Born To Perish feels pointedly vicious and authoritative. Showcasing a new line-up featuring new recruits Randy Black (drums) and Damir Eskic (guitar), it’s a pulverising riot from explosive start to bruising finish.
German thrash has always kicked harder than the rest. Thanks to a combination of gritty but finessed production and some startling, intense performances, Born To Perish kicks like a rabid donkey with an itchy arse for a nigh-on 47 minutes. Resolutely thrash in conception and delivery, but subtly infused with moments of deathly power and peppered with wild, melodic lead breaks, it feels like a subtle upgrade for Destruction’s seminal sound. Although seldom at anything less than full pelt, they do exhibit some versatility too; Betrayal has shades of King Diamond in its mid-paced menace, and Rotten feels like a friendly but fiery salute to US comrades Overkill. Meanwhile, the doom-tinged and devilish Butchered For Life is as macabre and bloody as its title suggests and We Breed Evil sounds like Jugulator-era Priest (and that’s a compliment, incidentally) performed by actual demons from Hell’s cavernous depths.
Destruction have been remarkably consistent in recent times, but it’s hard to deny that these songs are instantly recognisable as top-drawer fare. From the rapid-fire cudgelling of Tyrants Of The Netherworld to the Panzertrack grooves of snotty closer Ratcatcher, Born To Perish is full of gleefully violent extreme metal designed to wreck necks and blow heads off. In that respect, nothing much has changed for Destruction. They’re just getting even better at it, 37 years in. Yikes.
For FANS oF: Kreator, Onslaught, Hellripper