Destruction – Inventor of Evil
There’s no denying the timeless music found on the the debut mini LP and 1st 3 full-length classic Destruction albums. I never… ever… get tired of listening to those releases and such a ravenous beginning has indeed carved the name “Destruction” in stone to be remembered by the metal legions forever. I won’t even mention “Cracked Brain” and the other 2 Schmier-less albums after that, for that to me wasn’t Destruction. I will say that I’ll always be the first to discredit modern day reformations of once influential bands. Something happens over the years to the people behind the music. Their world and life outlook changes. They grow up. They overthink their older music. They try to modernize and “advance” their music for the reunion and in turn, end up dumbing down their entire legacy. The results are often dissapointing, if not laughable. But not Destruction. Schmier returns to the fold and it seem like the creative spark is once again ignited in Mike’s impressive riff ideas and atypical songwriting. Such a gifted and simply “odd” player. Sometimes his riffs make sense, but are just a bit off to keep the listener intently trained on every turn in the song. Other times, the complexity in his playing is best to be experienced and not neccessarily comprehended, for the depth and complexity in his tremolo fills and choppy, out of time riff ideas offer something different every time you listen to them. Even though he may not be as “out there” as found on the 1st 3 albums, ever since this band has re-united, every album has sounded like Destruction. No doubt about who you were listening to. “Inventor of Evil”… sounds like Destruction. Excellent riffs are once again found that lurch in and out of the simplistic and the bizarre. If anything, this band has found more of a happy medium over the years. They can craft more normal songs/song structures these days without losing their trademark sound. “Inventor of Evil” does pile on the thrashy crunch as on the slightly predictable “No Man’s Land”, “The Chosen Ones”, among others, but the band still holds onto a burning conviction that somehow makes even the less exciting/interesting songs seem relevant. There’s certainly nothing here that’ll demand me to spin “Inventor of Evil” over “Infernal Overkill” or “Eternal Devastation”, but I have enjoyed all of the Schmier led reunion albums and I will definitely keep this album in rotation after this review is completed. In closing, there’s an allstar gathering for the track “Alliance of Hellhoundz” where the singers for Dimmu Borgir, Soilwork, Hypocricy, Candlemass, Death Angel, Saxon, Rage, Paul DiAnno and Doro Pesch all step up to the mic for a screaming session. That’s an awful lot of metal superstar for your metal dollar for those of you who care about such things. – Marty
CANDLELIGHT RECORDS
Worm Gear 