Teutonic thrash legends, Destruction are set to release their 17th slab of molten metal called Born To Perish on August 9th via Nuclear Blast. For 35 years this band has carried the standard of thrash metal with honor and pride. The core member of Schmier (vocals/bass) and Mike Sifringer (guitar) remain. Injecting new blood and excitement into Destruction is the addition of drummer Randy Black and guitarist Damir Eskic. The big question is how does Born To Perish stack up to the band’s mighty catalog and the resurgence of thrash in general.
Metal music and thrash, in particular, are the perfect vehicle for examining the failings of the world we live in. Born To Perish explores greed, persecution, and our own inhumanity toward each other with speed and power. The anguish and anger are invoked musically through vicious riffing on songs such as “Rotten” and “We Breed Evil”.
The standout element on Born To Perish is the performances of the band. Schmier’s coarse vocals shift into a gravely hateful rasp through this album lending its menace. The scalpel-sharp riffs of Mike and Damir slash furiously on “Inspired by Death” and “Tyrants of the Netherworld”. The lead licks on “Betrayal” capture the evil hostility within the song. Driving each song is the pummeling drums of Randy Black. His playing is perfect and the drum sound on this album is punchy and percussive without the usual “click-clack” kick drum.
Overall Born to Perish is a fine addition to Destruction’s arsenal of music. However, it isn’t without a couple of faults. Some of the song-writing is repetitive and don’t hold interest such as “Filthy Wealth” and “Ratcatcher”. They feel like filler and take away from the other stronger material on this album.
Born To Perish by Destruction is a solid thrash metal album from one of the progenitors of genre. The band’s performance is top of the line with excellent percussion and biting riffs. There are a couple of songs which feel a bit out of place, but overall this album hits hard. In a world of insanity, we can always use a fierce fist to the face from Destruction to awaken our senses.