Back in the eighties Destruction
were a force to be reckoned with on the European Thrash
circuit, now following the thrash resurgence of the last
couple of years, they are back, louder and faster than ever,
celebrating their 25th anniversary!
Since Schmier’s return to the band
in 1999, following their less than successful Neo-Destruction
period, the band haven’t really made much of an impact. 2001’s “The
Antichrist” was a fairly good album with tracks like “Nailed
TO The Cross” and “Thrash Til Death” but it seems it took
until last year when they re-recorded the classics for
“Thrash Anthems” that they really got back into the swing of
things, and following on from that D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. is definitely the best
Destruction album since Schmier’s return and possibly one of
the best albums of their career.
The opening title track
“Devolution”, is classic Destruction and could easily have
been found on 1985’s “Infernal Overkill”, after a brief
instrumental introduction the amps are turned to eleven and
that piercing cry we all know Schmier for echoes through
the speakers. Songs like “Elevator To
Hell”, “Offenders Of The Throne” and “The Violation Of
Morality” build on the furious and fast past of Devolution
and will easily slot into their already extensive back
catalogue on the live circuit. If you think things
couldn’t get any better, “Urge (The Greed Of Gain)” is a
fast, blistering thrash epic that features not one, but two
guest solos from Thrash royalty; Exodus’s Gary Holt and the
guitar master that is Jeff Waters from Annihilator. It’s been a long 25
years for the band but D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. shows exactly
why Destruction are still relevant to Thrash metal today.
John Consterdine
