Destruction - Thrash Anthems review
| Band: | Destruction |
| Album: | Thrash Anthems |
| Style: | Teutonic thrash metal |
| Release date: | January 22, 2007 |
| A review by: | Jeff |
01. Bestial Invasion
02. Profanity
03. Release From Agony
04. Mad Butcher
05. Reject Emotions
06. Death Trap
07. Cracked Brain
08. Life Without Sense
09. Total Desaster
10. Depostition (Your Heads Will Roll)
11. Invincible Force
12. Sign Of Fear
13. Tormentor
14. Unconscious Ruins
15. Curse The Gods
16. Eternal Ban [bonus]
I've never been the biggest fan of the German Thrash Metal scene but even if I prefer the Bay Area one, I like it a lot. Sodom, Kreator or Destruction are, of course, among the best Thrash Metal bands on Earth and nobody can say that they've never released great albums and great songs because as a matter of fact, they all released one day a killers in their long career. Today, we will talk about one of them, the mighty Destruction which releases this year a surprising compilation. Read my words and you'll understand why it's so unconventional?
Lately, the guys of Destruction had a good idea. Our thrashers wanted to do a compilation (with some new songs however) of their best tracks from 1980 to 1990 but they wanted to do something special for their fans and they finally decided to do a total new recording of all their best songs! You're not dreaming, when the majority of the bands (and labels) only chose to put some songs on a CD and sometime to re-master them, Destruction and AFM Records chose to do a new recording with of course a great modern production. Some of you will maybe regret it but they will have to remember too that the band doesn't want to forget this period and only want to give some new alternative modern versions of their hits and I like the idea.
So of course, maybe that the "clean" sound remove a bit the anger, the violence and the crazy rhythms that we were able to find on the first releases but on the other hand the production was really bad and it wasn't so cool to listen to them. Though, the voice of Schmier is clearly better now and the drum is a lot more present so all in all it's just a good alternative version of the hits of the band. Also the two new songs (call them bonuses if you want) are nice and prove one more time that Destruction is all but not dead yet.
Yeah, I can understand that some of you will say that this "album" is a bad idea, that it's always better to listen to the original releases. But honestly, I really think that you don't have to see this release in that way, because for me it's just a different way to listen to the classics of the band and really it's a good thing. You just don't have to see "Thrash Anthems" like a new album, it's not a new album but it's just a "mega" compilation with the sound of the 21st century. If you like Destruction and regret the bad means of production of their first albums if you prefer the voice of Schmier on Destruction's last albums, if you like perfect clean sounds then "Thrash Anthems" is a must for all the thrashers, definitely!
PS: Some of you will say that it's a genius idea, some others will say that it's a shame so I decided to forget the ratings for this release which is a compilation anyway... and we cannot rate compilations so?
Comments
Comments: 6
Visited by: 116 users
| kackbratze Posts: 234  |
I partly agree with the review, but only partly.  Normally I am no fan of remasterings. In most cases the originals are almost perfect classics and even a new sound production doesn't really make it better. Take Megadeth for example: They re-recorded all of their old albums and I find them terrible. They just lack the spirit of the old releases. Destruction however did a very good job. They managed to get a powerful sound while keeping the spirit of their classics. Some songs are really good, like the new versions of Cracked Brain and Release from Agony. Nevertheless I think the downfall of "Thrash Anthems" is that some songs are overproduced. In those songs the riffs are too much in the background. Some of them are even slower than the originals, I didn't recognize some of the songs at once, although I know them... In the end it's up to the individual, if he/she likes the old or the new recordings better.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
I myself have never really been a fan of any of the so-called big three of German thrash. The only band I could somehow stomach was Kreator. Destruction and especially Sodom I alway found terrible, although Destruction had one or two good songs. I did listen to Thrash Anthems, and listening to the crisp production and new versions of the old songs I gotta say I even prefer the old versions to these bland inspired renditions. Rerecording old songs with a new production, so not remastering but totally playing them again and recording them as if they were brand new, is of course not a new idea. Testament already that on First Strike Still Deadly.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Murder Posts: 255  |
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| CrimsonSoaked Account deleted |
CrimsonSoaked
Account deleted
I've got this album as one of my annual christamas presents to finally get know the musical world of the last presence of german thrash trinity, and I must say that the Trash Anthems compilation, including their hits from golden 80's, was a slight disappointment. It consisted some very cool and powerful thrashy tracks like "Mad Butcher" and "Invicible Force" and the voice of Schmier is also something quite unique but there was some essential part in the whole entity that left just a mean taste of nothing special in my mouth ( or ears ). worth of 9, but something vital is missing, maybe they should done just a normal compilation without re-recordings. I don't even know was it a wise thing to begin listening of them from this particular album, in retro-spective. Seems that Destruction continues to be my least favourite of german thrash trinity and thrash bands in general. 
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| Maxx666 Meshuggahian Posts: 376  |
I actually love this compilation it's got a refreshingly new modern sound .The riffs are still razor sharp accompanied by insane shredding and the drums have the kick ass blast beats 
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