Destruction

All Hell Breaks Loose (Nuclear Blast)
by Martin Popoff

More chaotic and dangerous than most of the German thrashers and their o’er-the-pond Bay Area compatriots, Destruction are on the comeback trail. There have been non-D albums and semi-fake tours/reunions in the meantime, along with Shmier’s restaurant, but All Hell Breaks Loose is the real thing. And like Venom, the band has measuredly cleaned up, tightened and complicated, Venom doing only that, Destruction also making good use of their penchant for arcane melody.

As well, Destruction has done all this within the context of an electrocuted and frazzled retro production sound, captured rather uncharacteristically by olfactory offal factory Peter Tägtgren. And, like Venom, Destruction has a distinctly irritating vocal howler at the mic, Schmier grabbing you by the soiled leather lapels and driving his venomous barbs (All Hell Breaks Loose:12 tracks, 12 reasons to be angry) deep into your cheek fat like souvlaki skewers. Fast, tricky and riffy, Destruction have found ways to make what is essentially a sophisticated metal record sound like it’s a raggedy hang of club colors tracked behind a belching Harley like some sort of motor oil body fluid initiation rite. A tottery profane balance is achieved, one that succeeds as valiantly as one might in transporting old Destructos back to the frothy beer mess of their youth.
(PO Box 43618 Philadelphia, PA 19106)