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Destruction - Born To Perish review




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Reviewer:
7.6

95 users:
7.05
Band: Destruction
Album: Born To Perish
Release date: August 2019


01. Born To Perish
02. Inspired By Death
03. Betrayal
04. Rotten
05. Filthy Wealth
06. Butchered For Life
07. Tyrants Of The Netherworld
08. We Breed Evil
09. Fatal Flight 17
10. Ratcatcher
11. Hellbound [Tygers Of Pan Tang cover][bonus]

35 years after Sentenced To Death, the Teutonic titans Destruction are still charging ahead and show few signs of stopping anytime soon. Born To Perish is their 14th full length slab of original music that will please fans of thrash and particularly the German variety.

This album shouldn't be as good as this 37 years into their career. Coming off of Thrash Anthems II, where the band had tried to hitch a ride off their former glories, is it their best? No, but to expect that is to view them as the band at their peak and not the place where they are now. Born To Perish is a welcome addition to the Destruction legacy, though one that will do little to add to it except for forward momentum.

As you hit play you will be quickly greeted by the band's trademark sound, greeting you and strapping you in for another ride; the more things change, the more they stay the same. Starting as it means to go on, Born To Perish is an album that is a riff-driven machine that chugs along at a good speed, even if the engine has lost a bit of horsepower. Running through tracks like "Inspired By Death", "Betrayal" and "Butchered For Life", you will find yourself enjoying what you hear and grateful Schmier and co have put out another original album after Under Attack.

The riffs are heavy and gritty; they are strong enough for you to sink your teeth into but they will leave you hungry for more in short order. Sifringer and the latest addition to the band Eskic do ensure each track has good guitar work peppered throughout to give each track a strong backbone. From the straight-up no-frills riff of "Tyrants Of The Netherworld" to the solos of "Filthy Wealth", they form a solid team that will give you value for your money.

While it is arguable the band are just moving forward for fan service, they don't down tools and rest on their laurels. "Tyrants Of The Netherworld" is probably one of the strongest tracks since the turn on the millennium from the band; heavy and loaded with riffs and ideas, it shows the band aren't putting the minimum amount of effort just to ensure something new is put out. Had they phoned it in or merely shown hints of their former greatness I wouldn't have been overly surprised, but to come out this good? It's an overachievement for sure.

The sound on Born To Perish is their best in years; the songs sound wide and spacious and the band ensure every bit of air is a soundwave to crash their sonic power straight into your ears. Where I found Under Attack to feel compressed and crammed, the band have rectified this and then some. Each instrument sounds powerful and a vital piece of the puzzle, with no bit left to feel less valued than another.

The biggest problem with Born To Perish is that it is predictable; you know exactly what you're going to get from a Destruction album. In isolation that is not a big problem as I am more than happy to get more of the same; it is when this issue is paired with the many other minor issues that it compounds and becomes a nagging distraction. Each part of this album is a step down (with the exception of the production and "Tyrants Of The Netherworld") on what came before it, and I don't mean in their 80s heyday, I mean in their recent history in the last decade. The riffs are that bit weaker, the songs that bit weaker in their construction and application. It's still strong and by no means bad, it is just hard not to notice and something I cannot shake free from my mind when listening to this album.

There is no out-and-out bad song on Born To Perish; each track is able to stand strong and offers something to the listening experience. "We Breed Evil" seems a tad on the anaemic side and feels like it could have used a few more riffs or twists to enhance it, sounding like something the band knocked together quickly; it is listenable but it won't go down as one of the bands strongest tracks.

If you take Born To Perish for what it is, an album from a band who probably didn't expect to be going this far into their career but still have the fire burning bright within them, then you will find yourself a batch of songs that are an enjoyable listen, spinning them on rotation every now and again in addition to the slew of classics already provided by the band. If you're expecting anything more than this then I would say you will come out of this album disappointed; while it won't outright offend you its not going to reach the bar you set for it.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 6
Originality: 6
Production: 8





Written on 03.07.2020 by Just because I don't care doesn't mean I'm not listening.



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