Destructor are one of the more unique bands to come out of the ’80s thrash underground. For starters, they aren’t even a thrash band per se, at least not in the traditional, tattered denim jeans, mosh ’til death sense of the term. In the same breath, there’s no denying the breakneck aggression that fuels their particular brand of metal, a trait synonymous with thrash. If anything, they fall in line with bands like Nasty Savage and early Razor, playing a thrashier spin on the cutting edge speed that acts like Anvil and Exciter specialized in circa ’82-’83. Like I said, it isn’t your everyday, run of the mill, cut and dry thrash, which makes a band like Destructor all the more special. Oh yeah, and they’re also from Cleveland.
With all that being said, despite being dormant for the better part of the ’90s (Which ’80s band DIDN’T feel the wrath of said decade?), Destructor have left quite the trail of destruction this century. Still spearheaded by founding guitarist/frontman Dave Overkill and drummer Matt Flammable, the band continues to tear up the festival circuit and release new music, having just unleashed their 7th album, Tales of Glory. Like every Destructor album before it, you know exactly what you’re going to get, and I mean that in the most complimentary manner possible.
Tales of Glory is a nonstop old school affair from start to finish. There’s no pretending here whatsoever. Destructor always have been and always will be an unabashed true metal act, and are proud of it. It shows in the songs, which would’ve been as home in 1986 as they are 2026. There are no heartless attempts to “keep up with the times” or “switch things up”. Nope, just good ol’ fashioned metal which lies somewhere between ’80s USPM at its absolute rawest and blistering thrash at its speediest. If just the mere mention of such a concoction didn’t make you salivate, why are you even on this webzine in the first place?
On the USPM side of the spectrum are cuts like “Shadow Magic”, “Wolves at Your Door”, and “Never Take Me Alive”. With their dark fantasy lyrics, valorous riffs, and triumphant spirit, one can easily hear shadows of fellow US overlords Jag Panzer and Manowar. It’s moments like this that make one beg the question we opened this review with, “Were Destructor ever thrash to begin with?” The answer to that inquiry comes storming in on power-thrashing neck-snappers like “Answers in Blood” and the closing “Victorious Warrior”. Again, these aren’t pit-starters, but rather blood-boiling epic thrashers akin to those aforementioned bands in the first paragraph, or even late ’80s thrash era Manilla Road.
While not a game changer, Tales of Glory is a kickass slab of pure metal that stands as a worthy continuation of Destructor’s leather-clad legacy. It’s fast, fierce, and over the top in the best way imaginable. In an age where most power-thrash bands who grace this page weren’t even alive during the fusion’s initial advent (like myself), it’s refreshing to see one of the originators still going strong after all this time. Like the old song goes, they’re raising the metal flag, marching forth, and showing us muthas that they control. Keep takin’ command, Destructor!
7 out of 10
Label: Shadow Kingdom Records
Genre: Power/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Exciter, Anvil, Nasty Savage
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