Customer Reviews

All Hell Breaks Loose

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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!!

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.

After the stellar "Release from Agony" which was the last album with Schmier on vocals, then "Cracked Brain" also a good release, they released "The Least Sucsessfull Human Cannonball" which to this day, I cannot find anywhere, and never heard, then this came out, and they were BACK!, Where to start on this album, the production is top notch, Schmier sounds even more pissed off than before, he sounds mad, the music is fast for the most part, heavy, every instrument can be heard, when "The Final Curtain" comes on, you know what you're in for, an ass-kicking, then, one of the best songs on the album "Machinery of Lies", total Thrash, "Tears of Blood" totally rules too, other songs that should please people, "The Butcher Strikes Back", DEVASTATING, THRASH ATTACK!, "Total Desaster 2000", yes, this was the track on "Sentence of Death" just re-done, that's why the 2000 is at the end of it, "All Hell Breaks Loose" is catchy as hell, the other tracks are good as well, but I've mentioned the best, on some versions of the album, the last track is a nice cover of Metallica's "Whiplash" (Which can also be found on the 2003 album "Metal Discharge"), also, I hear their new album "Inventor of Evil" which is coming out in October I think, is supposed to be killer, and the cover has The Butcher back on it, that should be cool, anyways, buy this, later!

The world of thrash metal is walking through a lightless street, when the mad butcher comes out from the darkness and rips its flesh with him jacknife!!! This is exactly what you feel when you listen to this masterpiece! The mad butcher finally has come back! This unexpected reunion brings forth an unbelievably wicked and thrashing album which takes us to the "gold era" of thrash metal, when Destruction together with Sodom, devastated Germany with their powerful sound. This album sounds exactly how a thrash album must be! From the opener "The Final Curtain", passing by the apocalyptic "The Butcher Strikes Back" and "Total Desaster 2000" which is a remake of a great song contained on the "Bestial Invasion From Hell" demo, produced in 1984, it really guarantees an incredible blood-flowing feeling and great damages to your windows' glasses. It's not Bay Area Thrash - this is completely different - it's the classic german thrash born during Eighties and kept alive by bands as Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction-self! Evil, more aggressive, bloodier and heavier... here there's no peace, no regret, only blood, pain, violence and destruction, besides, don't forget, great musicianship! Buy iy, it's an advice, if you don't wanna be maimed from the MAD BUTCHER!!!

Great comeback album from these German thrash metalers. Mixed by the infamous Peter Tagtgren this album may qualify as thrash metal album of the year. All 13 tracks rock. The guitars are catchy and the vocals a different Schmier style then the infernal overkill/mad butcher era. You will not be disappointed with this one..it rocks beyond belief!

This release heralds back to the early days of Destruction. They seem to have found the perfect fit between the old sound and a refreshing new one. The return of Schmier makes Destruction reborn. In my mind, without Schmier the band wasn't Destruction. All in all this is a great album. Tracks like "Tears Of Blood" and "The Final Curtain" will devastate your mind. Also of note....the remake of their classic song "Total Desaster" and the remake of Metallica's "Whiplash" (Metallica only wishes they could play this song this heavy!). If you don't have this album, buy it. You won't regret it.

Along with Kreator and Sodom, Destruction was Germany's answer to Slayer and Metallica. One of the better thrash bands of the 80s, Destruction actually made few waves here in the States. This is a shame, because Destruction was a great band. I read in an interview a few months back that the former-Destruction frontman, after being hounded by fans to reform, did just that. This album is what you would expect from a talented thrash band: fast and energetic. This album is welcome in today's world as a change from all the Korns running around the scene. I hope Destruction gets as popular as over-rated bands like Tool and Dream Theater (not thrash, but they are over-rated). Long live Germany's best thrash band ever!

If the title of "All Hell Breaks Loose" was supposed to be self-descriptive, Destruction hit the mark. Perhaps no album has given me a more powerful urge to lower my head and run into a wall as this one has. I know that this band has been around for a while, but here they sound like a bunch of hungry young kids tearing up the underground. In other words, they sound like Metallica circa "Kill 'Em All," and "All Hell Breaks Loose" definitely calls to mind the balls-to-the-wall aggression and musical precision of that older album.
Of course, since "Kill 'Em All" came out in 1983, one could say with a great deal of accuracy that Destruction don't break any new ground here. However, for an unabashedly backward-looking album, "All Hell Breaks Loose" sounds awfully fresh bursting forth from my stereo speakers. Schmier screams his angry lyrics like a man possessed, and the riffs and solos just tear it up. And unlike on many older thrash albums (see: "Reign in Blood"), there's bass here, and lots of it. The crushing bass notes and manic drumming make this about as heavy as non-death metal can get. Judging by the content of "All Hell Breaks Loose" and its successor "The Antichrist," subtlety may not be Destruction's forte. However, subtlety is unnecessary when you can thrash like these guys.

One of the best and most important Thrash Metal bands of all time, Destruction, are back in full strenght... thanks to the return of original singer/bass player Schmier. This is my favorite album of 2000. It is technical. It is talented. It is fast and aggressive. Forget the no-talent, MTV-compliant, Alternative Rock bands like Korn or (recent) Metallica. If you want "Metal", this is it. As a 19-year Metal veteran, I can say that this is Thrash at it's best. Simply put, if you are a Metal fan, you must get this cd!