GIG REVIEW: Destruction @ The Garage (London, U.K.)

One of the heaviest tours hits Europe. Destruction celebrating their 40th anniversary with Whiplash and Enforcer. A legendary night of Metal lies ahead.

Swedish Heavy Metal traditionalists Enforcer hit the stage first with their anthemic rocking tracks. Olof and co command the stage with a strong presence, aesthetic and synchronised moves to deliver true steel triumphantly to a mesmerised crowd. Playing a mix of tracks from the good ol’ “Diamond” and “From Beyond” days along with some newer numbers, they definitely get plenty of singing along and pounding fists as the Swedish revivalists show that true Heavy Metal is still alive and kicking.

American Thrash Metal masters Whiplash follow. Having just seen their blinding set at Thrash Nightmare in Czechia, I knew this would rule. Their 80s onslaught covered all the classics from the three essential albums and their performance was tight and relentless. Commanding the crowd with total force and rabid energy, the mayhem did not stop for a second. It is obvious while watching the trio that their experience performing live has been refined from sheer restless aggression, always delivering the goods without fail. Tracks such as “The Burning of Atlanta”, “Stage Dive” and of course “Power Thrashing Death” have the real maniacs in the room feral with savage aggression. An ecstatic set to behold.

Finally, Teutonic Thrash Metal titans Destruction take to the stage, which is complete with backdrops, skull and chain mic stands and spikes on the cymbals. Visually and sonically all hell breaks loose. Their setlist has a huge focus on the glory days of the 80s, which for me is perfect, hearing so much classic Destruction felt like a dream come true. “Infernal Overkill”, “Eternal Devastation” and most of all “Sentence Of Death” are my favourite Destruction records, so their dominance in the set was a wonderful thing to be crushed by. Their performance was refined, energetic and impassioned, with all of the Thrash Metal fury that you would expect from such a monumental name in the genre. Still fuelled by their desire to thrash ’til death, there is no sign of this German war machine slowing down anytime soon and this tour has been the pinnacle of what the fans want in terms of setlist, sound and aesthetic. Fall victim to the bestial invasion!