Destruction - Sentence of Death (1984)

Man, those big poofy 80's thrash metal afro's that bands like Slayer, Sepultura and Destruction all seemed to have in their early years sure do kick ass. As well with the spandex, gauntlets, upside down crosses and enough armory to make their knees buckle with the weight it was clear these Teutonic thrashers were out to make a difference and to be heard. I'm sure it not only raised an eyebrow or two, but also brought a grin to certain folks faces, nevertheless nearly thirty years later and there's still bands new and old with a similar or dead on look.

Destruction's history dates back to roughly '82 when the band was formed in Weil am Rhein, Baden-Württemberg, Germany by guitarist Mike Sifringer, drummer Tommy Sandmann and bassist/vocalist Schmier. In the summer of '84 the 'Bestial Invasion of Hell' demo tape was released followed quickly by the bands debut EP, 'Sentence of Death.'

Destruction in '84: Graveyard sluts

Musically these three krauts unleash some highly impressive and energetic thrash metal that was just a bit beyond their peers, though not nearly as dark and aggressive as Sodom or Kreator. There's no denying the intricacy of Mike's riffs and his technical solos, especially those within, 'Satan's Vengeance' & 'Devil's Soldiers,' which pretty much results in mandatory head banging and air guitaring with each listen. Most of the riffs also have something of an epic character to them, perhaps drawing from the same pool of influence that Metallica used on, 'Kill 'em All,' but they feel sped up and and are for the most part far more deadlier. Perhaps a weaker point of the album is that the production and general lower volume of the whole recording does tend to hinder things a bit, but most of that can be cured by just turning the volume up higher so those massive riffs, sharp solos, bolting drums and raspy screams can be fully heard.

Although I've known the Destruction name for years I didn't hear anything from the band until 2001 when 'The Antichrist' was released and the whole thrash revival thing started to take shape. I remember buying, 'Cracked Brain' around that same time and hating it and pretty much not bothering with vintage Destruction from there on. Several more years would pass without me ever bothering to explore the bands past until a curious day when I found the bands third album, 'Release from Agony' on white vinyl for a mere $5, which I reckon carries a much higher price tag on eBay. It wasn't long afterwards that I snagged a copy of this EP, which also came with the 'Infernal Overkill' debut album.

Much like the early material from Sodom, Kreator, Bathory and Celtic Frost, 'Sentence of Death' is pretty much essential to those that are curious about extreme metals roots, specially the black metal genre. Destruction deserves a place on your CD shelf, as well as a patch on your metalvest!