Appropriately, Destruction saved the longest for last. What starts out as another exercise in eerie first wave black metal segues into an aggressive thrasher whose raw energy has always reminded me of Metallica circa Kill ‘Em All. The lead riff is thrashing and mosh worthy, but the technicality within is admirable.ĭespite originally appearing on the Bestial Invasion of Hell demo, it’s this version of “Antichrist” that reigns supreme, in all it’s hellish glory. This instrumental foray showcases Destruction’s ability as songwriters and musicians. This is followed by the equally memorable “Thrash Attack”, although this one is memorable for different reasons. It’s no wonder “Bestial Invasion” remains a staple of Destruction’s live sets to this day. It’s one hook after the other, after the other, leaving a hell of a mark. Everything about this song is distinctly memorable and larger than life. Not to be confused with the W.A.S.P., Slayer, or Kreator songs of the same name, Destruction’s “Tormentor” is largely a no frills blackened thrasher akin to “Invincible Force”, but with an extra punkish attitude.Īs we flip over to side B, we’re greeted by a true black-thrash anthem, “Bestial Invasion”. Contrasting it is the d-beat ridden side A closer, “Tormentor”. The lead riff in particular sounds very much like something Darkthrone would’ve conjured up in the early 90s, as does the surrounding atmosphere. Amazingly enough, for as evil as they sound playing at skull splitting speed, they sound even more evil playing this early black metal sound. On “The Ritual”, Destruction slows things to a sinister midtempo crawl reminiscent of Mercyful Fate. It almost feels like listening to a cut off Megadeth’s Peace Sells a year early. The last couple minutes sees the band showing off their pseudo-virtuosic chops, particularly the guitar-bass interplay of Mike and Schmier respectively. “Death Trap” starts out in this vein as well, before metamorphosing halfway through into a different song entirely. From Deathhammer to Antichrist, and every other band of the same vein in between, “Invincible Force” is essentially the template for every 80s blackened thrash/speed worship band that has followed. Little did Destruction know this song would go on to spawn countless worship bands in the decades to come. Infernal Overkill opens with the no holds barred, full speed blitz that is “Invincible Force”. There’s also a more refined approach to the production (although not to the point of neutering), as well as the musicianship, which would only grow more technical and proficient with each subsequent release. Musically speaking, Infernal Overkill expands upon the blackened thrash of Sentence of Death, while also incorporating elements of speed, punk, traditional metal throughout. Its unholy subject matter, harsh riffing, and even harsher vocals bridged the gap between Venom and later 80s acts like Sarcófago and Mayhem.Īfter years of honing their craft, it was now time for Destruction to unleash their debut full length assault, Infernal Overkill. Although it was largely a rerecorded collection of songs from the demo, Sentence of Death‘s widespread distribution via Steamhammer in Europe and Metal Blade in America made it a pivotal chapter in the development of black metal. Come 1983, the band changed their name to Destruction, and by 1984, they released their debut demo, Bestial Invasion of Hell.Ī few months later came the release of their debut EP, Sentence of Death, which quickly became an underground cornerstone. By now, both Welcome to Hell and Black Metal were out, so it was only a matter of time before bands of ambitious kids started following suit (Hellhammer anyone?). Crazy as this sounds for ’82, it’s entirely possible. Although no recordings exist of these earliest days, the band allegedly drew from Iron Maiden and other traditional NWOBHM acts, before shifting towards a Venom influenced sound “in a matter of weeks”. Join us as we go back in time and feel the power of the “Thrash Attack”.ĭestruction initially formed in 1982 under the name Knight of Demon. Coming off the heels of their 1984 debut EP, Sentence of Death, was their debut full length, and the subject of today’s essay, Infernal Overkill. And as for Destruction, they struck while the iron was hot. Who knows how history would’ve played out had they not? It wasn’t long after that they released their debut full length, Endless Pain, forging their path as Germany’s premiere thrashers. Meanwhile, Kreator were so young that their parents had to sign their contract with Noise Records. Matter of fact, they released two versions of the aforementioned EP, but more on that in a future essay. ![]() ![]() ![]() After releasing a pair of utterly demonic demos, Sodom released their debut EP, In the Sign of Evil. This week, we go back in time to 1985: A legendary year for Teutonic thrash metal. Welcome to another edition of From My Collection.
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