Destruction - Thrash Anthems (2007)
©Candlelight Records
Germany
Tracklist:
- Bestial Invasion (4:38)
- Profanity (5:56)
- Release from Agony (4:36)
- Mad Butcher (3:45)
- Reject Emotions (5:52)
- Death Trap (4:52)
- Cracked Brain (3:46)
- Life Without Sense (6:22)
- Total Desaster (3:26)
- Deposition (Your Heads Will Roll) (5:11)
- Invincible Force (3:44)
- Sign of Fear (6:36)
- Tormentor (3:55)
- Unconscience Ruins (4:17)
- Curse the Gods (5:16)
By the amount of positive feedback coming from the majority of Metal bands, you’d think that the world was a giant green M&M radiating sunshine and candy canes every where you went. Kind of makes me feel a little out of place with my upcoming review but lets see where it takes us, shall we? "Thrash Anthems" by Destruction is a compilation of re-recordings of old songs and two new songs: "Deposition (Your Heads Will Roll)" and "Profanity", but enough of what Wikipedia has to say, let's see how it took. I don’t know how my other fellow reviewers pick their albums, but I like to eeny meeny miny moe my way through that shit, so when I rhymed my way across this one I was overcome with a sense of joy. It meant that I get to review the band as a whole rather then just one album.
So a week ago I dove right into it. The band had apparently been around since the early 80’s so I was expecting some good old fashion Thrash Metal. Because I’ve never actually heard of them, I was expecting to hear the type of stuff that Metallica used to play before they sold out, which I actually find pretty decent. The first song gave me a great big impression of "meh". Didn’t really grasp me like most bands do but maybe it’s just this song I guessed naively, while hope was slowly leaving me. Onto the next track "Profanity". I had big hopes for this one, being there new one and all. I can understand some songs being shit, but seeing as they’ve been around for a while I expected them to have honed their music. Surprise, surprise it was pretty much as fucking boring as the first one. At this point I felt a bit hungry so I went upstairs to get something, and completely forgot about the album. I Started wandering around and felt bored, yet strangely content. The next day I walked back downstairs and like an anvil being dropped on my head I remembered that I had to pain through the fucking album just to get to the review. Music that makes me want to be bored rather then listen to it automatically isn’t in for a good type-up, but hey maybe the lyrics would make up for it. I can suffer a bit of shotty playing for some deep poetic text.
I feel producers that take up bands like this should be brought behind the shed and end up with the tragic fate of Old Yeller. I break bands up into two categories: Instrumentally and Lyrically. What makes a great band would be having both the elements and combining them in a way that literally does bring sunshine and candy canes, Eg: In flames. I can even settle for having one of both, just something that would hook me in. Mediocrity isn’t bad, it creates a bar for people to rise above, and there’s also an odd chance that something they make will be pure excellence. It’s only when producers sign bands with neither that I start to wonder if they shouldn’t have a caretaker to make sure they dress themselves properly. Though the lyrics weren’t totally correct, I can forgive them. Being foreign isn’t a crime so it’s not a problem I can move past it, but as I reassured myself, I realized that they started straight forwardly telling everyone that they worship Satan and “Jesus Christ exist no longer”. At this point I was starting to wonder if they were just trying a little too hard. They come across me as the villain’s in the old batman movie, trying their damnedest to be so evil that they end up looking like fucking retards. Towards the end I found that I had my head on the desk wishing that the album would just end. Can you believe that? Thrash metals supposed to make you want to get up and mosh, while I have my head on the desk wishing for sweet release from this mockery.
To sum up, I did not like the album or the band in this case. Maybe I’m just not as die hard of a fan that you have to be to enjoy this sort of shit, but in all honesty I don’t think I want to be. If disliking this stuff means you're stupid, then deem me brain dead, but I’d rather be retarded listening to good music then a jacked up genius listening to shit, itching a nagging feeling eating at the back of your head, as if telling you your not having a good time.
Oh yeah, and towards the end of the album the vocalist started doing random high pitched wail/screams that I can only describe as a banshee violently molesting my ear drums.
-Ryan [Guest]
