ALBUM REVIEW: Destructor – Blood, Bone and Fire

US Power / Thrash Metal legends DESTRUCTOR are back with their fifth full length album. Due for release via Shadow Kingdom Records on November 24th.

Guitars feed back before launching into pounding evil with furious drumming and riffs seamlessly firing on all cylinders. The sense of power and melody with strong low end will immediately floor you with its sheer might as these American legends of old show their passion has not waned. Maniacal vocals add to the frenzied thrashing chaos, without overshadowing the phenomenal instrumental work. This is the exact vicious Heavy Metal onslaught that I had hoped for from the return of Destructor, giving an explosive opening to instantly grasp you with the true steel they play mercilessly. From the battery of the drums and bass to the ripping solos, crazed vocals and of course the indomitable riffing, there is no denying the sheer force on display in these opening assaults which ensure you will want to venture on.

Bleeding melody seeps from the razor wounds of sharp Thrash Metal power, giving us all things desirable in the extreme and more traditional registers. Destructor continue to finely walk that delicate line of classic but fervently passionate and aggressive, much like on their classic material we can hear this fifth album continues that trajectory gloriously. The monstrously heavy production carries these killer songs into the territory they deserve, giving a modern but not overproduced twist to this classic band. The tight musicianship and execution lands every blow like a hammer, with no weak link nor second of dulled delivery. Clearly this is the work of a band who have refined their sound over a long and healthy career without treading water. This yields great new records that still feel relevant while the old flame burns brightly in their hearts and hopefully always will.

Each track has a mix of anthemic moments and more violent carnage, giving plenty of excitement but also tunes fans can sing along to live (and Destructor rules live for the uninitiated). This combination feels exactly like their heavy concoctions of old, a band who have stayed true to the course they plotted triumphantly without over-saturating their own discography with repetitious waste. Stomping posers and ripping wimps right until the end, at just over half an hour, this thing destroys without growing tame or boring. A solid nine cuts of wicked material, no more and no less. When you have such a strong and established sound, why change it when you can continue shattering ears with the Power / Thrash Metal mastery of old. Another blistering slab of fierce impact that delivers exactly what it promises.

A triumphant new cut of power thrashing Heavy Metal from these Ohio legends. This is a call to arms for all true metallic warriors, “we are the iron clad”, as they put it. A definite milestone in Destructor and easily some of their best material since the 80s. A raging cut that is absolutely essential to thrashers and old school maniacs alike. Basically, if you like good Heavy Metal, get this in your ears now…