ALBUM REVIEW: Destruction, "Born to Perish"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 09/08/2019

Label: Nuclear Blast

Another deadly slice of Teutonic thrash.

“Born To Perish” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. "Born To Perish"
2. "Inspired By Death"
3. "Betrayal"
4. "Rotten"
5. "Filthy Wealth"
6. "Butchered For Life"
7. "Tyrants Of The Netherworld"
8. "We Breed Evil"
9. "Fatal Flight 17"
10. "Ratcatcher"
Bonus:
11. "Hellbound"

The Review:

Destruction blast back, only three years since “Under Attack”, with ten tracks of efficient and cutting thrash metal. Now a four piece, thanks to the addition of Swiss shred-meister Damir Eskic and also the latest man to get behind the kit, Randy Black. Both newcomers put in a storming shift here; Damir really brings his A-game to the solos and Randy's drum performance is thrash circa 2019.

The opener and title track sets the tone here: thrashing drums, punishing leads and Sifringer and Schmier still providing a rock solid and destructive partnership. Sonically, this picks up right where “Under Attack”, “Spiritual Genocide” and “Day of Reckoning” left off: rock solid sound and razor sharp detail between the instruments. It's a long way from “Infernal Devastation” in terms of production values but the spirit of those days is still here.

Where Kreator remain a superb band, their sound has streamlined and become more subtle over the years. The same could be argued of Destruction, but not to the same extent as they remain a punishing and nasty proposition on record- less melody and more muscle. It seems that Schmier got all his melodic leanings out via the German Panzer side project a few years back, as what you get here is nothing less than thrash metal at all times.

The record steamrolls by with “Inspired By Death” and “Betrayal” following the title track with speed, violence and force. “Rotten” switches to the triplet/tanks rolling time feel that the band have used on past releases to good effect and it marks a good dynamic shift for the record. Likewise “Filthy Wealth” is not all out thrash- more like a Motorhead-type pace. It's no less effective and rounds out the first half of the album in style.

The second half of the record opens with the heavy-as-lead “Butchered For Life” (with a quieter mid section). “Tyrants of the Netherworld” is balls out thrash with a wall of guitars only letting up for a tasty drum break towards the end. A storming track! The final triumvirate of “We Breed Evil”, “Fatal Flight 17” and “Ratcatcher” are just as potent with the band applying maximum song writing chops to their speedy assault.

This is another good entry into Destruction's impressive discography. It does not top “Day of Reckoning” as their best album in the last decade, in my opinion, but it is right up there with the others. Another deadly slice of Teutonic thrash.

“Born To Perish” is available HERE

Band info: facebook