Band:	Deströyer 666
Album:	Phoenix Rising
Style:	Blackened thrash metal
Release date:	2000
Guest review by:	Raiden

01. Rise Of The Predator
02. The Last Revelation
03. Phoenix Rising
04. I Am The Wargod (Ode To The Battle Slain)
05. The Eternal Glory Of War
06. Lone Wolf Winter
07. Ride The Solar Winds
08. The Birth Of Tragedy

Destroyer 666 are an Australian Black Metal band who use interesting Death and Thrash Metal elements in their music. They are the most well known of a family of bands that share members with each other including Gospel Of The Horns and Destruktor. This album is Destroyer 666's second full length, and it was released in 2000. Phoenix Rising is a little bit more refined than Destroyer 666's previous works, but it still has that raw Black Metal sound with that Thrashy edge to it.

After the minute or so spoken intro to start the album, things kick off quite quickly. The fast drumming and long scream to start the album sounds great. So from the word go you know what this band is about. This first song entitled "Rise Of The Predator" is quite fast paced with the speedy drumming and the almost shouting of each word quickly after the other. The heavy guitars mixed with the raw higher notes that is often used by Destroyer 666 sounds great as always. The vocals on this album are one of the elements that impressed me the most. They aren't deep guttural growling but more of a combination of growling/rasping. It's basically distinguishable yet harsh vocals, and it works perfectly.

My favourite track on the album, and possibly of all time is "I Am The Wargod." It starts off slower, and adds each layer progressively. To begin with it's a slow bass intro which starts the song well. Then the raw high guitars are added following the same sort of riff. Once the drums kick in, the guitars become more prominent. At the start, the drums are just a slow beat, like some sort of war drum sound. The song speeds up more and more and ends up with K.K. Warslut screaming "I Am The Wargod!".

Each song on the album is varied but still contains that powerful sound. I really like the parts where the music slows down and the drums are used as just strong booming blasts. At the end of "Lone Wolf Winter" there is the repeated clean vocal singing "How is it that I have become the Hunter and the Hunted and thought has become my enemy". This works very well as the fade out to the song and ends up being harmonised with the harsh vocals singing the same thing and then after a bit of growling "Lone Wolf Winter". I find things like that make the album interesting.

Overall I find this album to be great for anyone interested in extreme metal really, but not exclusively. It's not a perfect masterpiece, but it's very close to it.

Best tracks: I Am The Wargod, Rise Of The Predator, Lone Wolf Winter, The Eternal Glory Of War.