In 2006, Live-Metal.net spotlighted The Destro in a feature we called "new noise" for new and upcoming acts. So it was somewhat rewarding
when it was announced that the band had signed onto Unearth
frontman Trevor Phipps' Ironclad Recordings, a division of
Metal Blade. Their debut full-length, As the Coil Unwinds,
is exactly what the band was signed for: No bullshit Texas
thrash metal that will make Pantera fans salivate.
The Pantera comparisons are unavoidable, especially in the
vocals of frontman Eric Daughtry, who sounds like Phil Anselmo's
younger, but equally angry brother. Fierce vocals, heavy guitar
groove and pummeling percussion—it's all here. They
lack the commercial appeal that came with Pantera, but the
band's songwriting skills should only improve in time. Songs
like “Beast Burden” and “The Offering”
would have fit in on Reinventing the Steel, while
“Knife in Hand” changes the tempo with slower,
chugging riffs and Daughtry sounding similar to Lamb
of God's Randy Blythe. No clean vocals here. Listening to
the raspy roar of Daughtry makes my throat fuckin'
hurt.
So is anything original here? While The Destro proudly wear
their influences on their sleeves, they are not clones by
any means. The machine gun rhythm and strong shouted chorus
of “Bridges Will Burn” is a strong sign of what
The Destro is capable of in the future. Same goes for the
nine-minute album closer, “Forever Embedded,”
an almost doom metal, instrumental piece. What they lack in
originality, The Destro makes up for with a true underground
thrash metal album. The band will likely tour the hell out
of it and make a name for themselves over the next few years.
Experience and maturity should bring a more original and dynamic
follow-up. In other words, The Destro could be really big
in a few years. But for now, As the Coil Unwinds is, as Mr. Anselmo might say, “an arrogant, explosive,
motherfuck” of an album. |
