Metal Blade's new
champions of extreme metal are Destroy Destroy Destroy. Sure,
the name, the band's Viking/black metal image and lyrics about
medieval warfare may be outright ridiculous. But after one
listen to Devour The Power, metal fans will have
evil, shit-eating grins on their faces.
With their dragon-slaying, high-pitched vocals, metal-as-fuck
guitars and double-bass drumming, Destroy Destroy Destroy
is reminiscent at times of 3 Inches of Blood. But while 3
Inches of Blood sometimes comes across as comical, the same
cannot be said for Destroy Destroy Destroy. This Murfreesboro,
Tenn., band is out to rule and conquer all in its path. With
two guitarists and a keyboardist accompanying the mostly screeching
wails of Bryan Kemp, the band appears to have been raised
on a steady diet of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Scandinavian
metal such as In Flames and At the Gates. The material is
dynamic, with blast beats, breakdowns, shout-along choruses
and memorable songwriting. The keyboards add an epic element,
further separating the band from its competition. The album's
theme and lyrics seem to be based on some sort of war, possibly
against orcs or dragons. On multiple occasions, we hear scenes
from this ongoing war in the background.
"Hang the Vermin" starts this opus with a majestic opening
and quickly turns into a 100-mph black metal anthem. "Gods
of War and Open Sores" begins with a Priest-like riff backed
by keys and guitar divebombs, keeping it's mid-paced tempo
until the keyboards explode into a solo at the end. The pounding
"Ripped Apart by the Juggernaut" and the lightning-fast assault
and spoken words of "Battle Cry" are about as metal as you
can get. Kemp’s varying vocal style is similar to Cradle
of Filth's Dani. On "The Beast That Cannot Be Fed," the band
drives its relentless riff and double-bass blasts straight
through your head. "Seduced by the Locracian Temptress" is
on par with older In Flames or At the Gates, showcasing the
band's talent for melodic death metal. "Hellfire" seems to
be the band's anthem, with ‘80s-metal-inspired riffs
and lyrics repeatedly telling us, "We've come to raise the
fire and rape your souls. We've come to raise the fire and
take back what you stole." It all ends with the chant of the
song's name, "Hellfire" - Now that is fucking metal.
Destroy Destroy Destroy’s material is outrageous but
also diverse. It should give them the ability to win over
many metal fans. Devour the Power is such a strong
and impressive debut release, one wonders how the band will
ever top this. The band also presents a more-metal-than-metal
stage show, complete with leather, bullet belts and Kemp in
a G-string and gauntlets.
Bottom line: Destroy Destroy Destroy is fucking metal, metal,
metal! |
