Under Attack (2016) by Destruction: Fast, hard, aggressive …cliché, but a good thing.
Destruction has been one of the main pioneering German thrash metal bands for over three decades now. I did not grow up listening to their music as a fan, but their interesting artwork always caught my attention and I ended up giving their albums a good amount of spins in record stores, at friends houses, and occasionally bought an album. What I need to say, though, is that the band’s music became more and more appealing to me. Maybe it’s the maturity of their music, the decades of refining the band’s unique thrash metal style, or, as frontman Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer put it in a recent interview on the Nuclear Blast YouTube channel, the world is in a worrying state, which gives him a lot of material to write good songs about.
Destruction’s new album Under Attack is one of their strongest efforts to date. The songs come in the usual German thrash metal style, fast, hard, aggressive, and sound fresher than on most of their previous albums. One reason might be that the band actually had time to work on the album for a longer period of time without having to rush from one tour to the other. Mike Sifringer guitar riffs still have his signature finger-twisting and alternate-picking style, to quote Kevin Stewart-Panko, but radiate more diverse than before. In addition, drummer Wawrzyniec “Vaaver” Dramowicz adds more groove to the album than what I am used to hear from Destruction, and that is a good thing!
I foresee Under Attack to be crowned one of the best metal albums of 2016. The authenticity of Destruction’s songs combined with the band’s in-your-face and rock-hard performance leaves not many wishes open. Can’t wait to see the band live on tour this September.
What others wrote about Destruction’s Under Attack:
“‘Under Attack’ is a worthwhile listen for fans of thrash metal. While not a perfect record, the album is an amazing effort that contains more pros than cons with enough thrash credibility to hold your listening attention. If you like loud, fast, heavy and unrelenting metal, be sure to check this album out.” – Jack Toresen, metalwani.com
“Under Attack will overpower other albums released this year. You won’t be able to help but submit to Destruction’s influence. Each song will stick with you so hard it will scar.” – Stephanie Jensen, theageofmetal.com
“For 47 minutes you are locked in with the masters of three decades of aggression hammering into your spine. The new Destruction will make your ears bleed bullets.” – Nicholas Pendergast, newnoisemagazine.com
“I’ll always have a soft spot for them, but I’m not totally blow away by Under Attack. Chalk it up to thrash fatigue and/or the jaded cynicism that comes metal reviewing, but it’s enjoyable enough and as Germanic thrash goes, it’s a worthy spin for committed thrashers.” – Steel Druhm, angrymetalguy.com
“It becomes clear after a few spins of Under Attack that Destruction’s strength is, and always has been, their ability to wrangle those finger-twisting, alternate-picked note riffs into something worthy of a fist held aloft while making choruses a focal point.” – Kevin Stewart-Panko, www.metalinjection.net