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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Praise Thee Oh Masters!, September 29, 2000
Firstly allow me to voice my opinion on the return of one of the most influential Thrash acts of all time by saying Yeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh!!! Ok, now that I've got that off my chest we can get down to All Hell Breaks Loose. I didn't intend to go into a long-winded commentary on the band's sudden reappearance on the scene, which for me was a complete surprise and a dream come true. I honestly had no clue this was coming until just days before it's release. With two-thirds of the original line-up back, you know those of us who grew up banging our heads to these guys are ecstatic to say the least. It's been nearly 10 years since the real DESTRUCTION put out an album. I stress 'real' because, as many of you may be aware, once all the original members had departed, the band continued to live on but played very un-DESTRUCTION like material and released only one album since Cracked Brain. The last truly memorable DESTRUCTION outing was in 1988 so expectations must have been high. That out of the way, this is bliss! I had to set aside my initial opinion and settle down a bit because after my first listen I was completely blown away by All Hell Breaks Loose. Perhaps it was my excitement over the band's reformation. Whatever the case, I bathed in this album's ferocity many times over before coming to a conclusive opinion, that being that this thing shreds! Not perfect mind you, but DESTRUCTION come roaring back out of the depths of oblivion with startling power and aggression. I never envisioned the band would take an even more aggressive angle than they'd left off with over 10 years ago but here it all is and one gets the impression that Schmier and Mike saved up all their anger and discontent over all these years and packed it into one disc. With the album beginning much like Release From Agony with it's cushy melodic intro, you are warned not to be lulled into a sense of complacency because seconds later the album goes off like a one megaton blast as "The Final Curtain" explodes in a fury of Thrash Metal dominance. My first reaction was one of 'Oh hell yes!' as the band tore up the atmosphere with a classic riff that would have sounded just as great on Infernal Overkill. DESTRUCTION have kept the base components of their 1980's style and added a coating of modern sound and finesse, partly due to Peter Tagtgren's production work, which not surprisingly, has some HYPOCRISY filters in the guitars. The songs on this album have more in common with those found on 1986's Eternal Devastation than any other DESTRUCTION release, although there are times when I'm reminded of the band's 1985 debut full-length release. 'Gutsy' is a word I would use to describe this affair as one pummeling track runs into the next. The band get off best on on tracks like the aforementioned opener, "Machinery Of Lies", "The Butcher Strikes Back", the title track and a patently awesome re-recorded version of the classic "Total Desaster", now renamed to "Total Desaster 2000". Hearing that song again and how much improved and blistering it is on this album got my blood pressure soaring! It's tasty Thrash all album long and I'd be a fool not to mention how much better Schmier's new shrieking style sounds. He's essentially disked the higher pitched yelps he was so well-known for and gone with a far more serious and angered tone. As always, Mike's guitar playing is topnotch and new drummer Sven Vormann handles the drum duties like a true maniac. All Hell Breaks Loose is a fantastic way to for the band to resurrect their careers and I only hope they'll stick around for a few more years if this is a precursor for what we can expect from them here on out. 10 years was worth the wait and I personally rejoice in the return of one of the great legends of Thrash Metal. DESTRUCTION, we praise thee oh masters! Welcome back!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
EXTREMELY-SUPER-GREAT!!, August 24, 2000
One word to express this one? EXTREMELY-SUPER-GREAT!! It is very "DESTRUCTION". Actually when I heard a rumour about the re-union of them last year, I did not believe it. But they are back, really back being even more powerful than ever!! The quality, arrangement, performance, production of this new album are excellent. So many bands have changed its sound these days, and old fans get disappointed. But this one will surely satisfy both old and new fans. Mike's neverending killing riffs are still there. Schmier's vocals and shout got more power, and his bass is tight and heavy. Sven's drumming is awsome. You will have to check yourself and spread the words. Hail to DESTRUCTION!!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Destruction Returns to Conquer!, June 30, 2000
Destruction was long missed in the world of metal. After an early 80's that spawned some of their best releases in "Infernal Overkill" and "Eternal Devastation", they seemed to slip into obscurity after bassist/vocalist, Schmier, left. Well, he's back. Another great thing about this CD is that it is only a trio. Destruction lost their luster when they let more members join the fold. Returning to the trio sound was the best choice they could make. Standout tracks on this record include "Final Curtain" and "Visual Prostitution", the latter being a different sound from Destruction. This album is pure thrash metal the way it should be. Now if only newer bands to the fold could only compete with the masters.
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