Destroyer 666- "Never Surrender"

 

The ripping opener owes a great deal to classic metal, with the racing twin guitar attack. They have been around since 94, and this marks only their 6th full length, so have lived off EPS and singles. The second song is more black metal than the first song, though the first song is more nuanced when it comes to song writing. KK Warslut, snarls through the songs with the charisma that recall the glory days of thrash. One thing is certain "Guillotine" is more punk than most of the punk I that came out this year.  I have never lumped these guys in with the other bands who worship Dissection, but the scathing nature of "Pitch Black Night" reminds me of them with the melodic guitar harmonies that are still mean as razors amid the cutting riffing. 

If it was not evident on the earlier songs "Mirror's Edge" makes it even clearer that the guitars are the star of the show here. "Grave Raiders' finding them using Iron Maiden like cadences. The gallop along a more violent landscape and lash out with barbaric fury.  There are tons of wailing guitar solos abounding on this album, but if you like the era this kid of metal emerged from it should be up your alley.  The gang vocals on the chorus work really well. The tremolo picking on "Savage Rights " marks another return to black metal. It is hard to not bang your head to this. 

They have a more deliberate feel to "Rather Death". This is just a clam before the storm as they trash themselves into a whirlwind not unlike the kind that could be heard in Slayer s early albums. Back when Slayer had the feeling of unhinged danger coming from their music rather than hug arena anthems. They do return to a more deliberate feel when this song progresses, so they are not running off only one rabid dynamic. The last song is more melodic, but also bring Dissection to mind, so maybe I am hyper aware of that influence now. But after listening to the song multiple times since, I keep drawing similar conclusions, which I suppose in terms of being more melodic is a plus for the band. I will give this one a 9, very solid and fun blackened thrash with an old school feel.