Invasion
Destroyer of Mankind
(Abyss Records)
A mix of thrash and death metal, this Michigan quartet have been going strong since 1989. Their latest effort Destroyer of Mankind, is their first release in seven years. Boasting members from Sea Of Tranquillity, Skullview, Yellowtooth, Cryptic Fog, Nocturne, Relentless, Throne Of Sacrilege, ScreamKing, Pitchfork and Prime Specimen, there’s quite a bit that can be said about each of these four guys, having plenty of experience in their own right. Frontman/bassist Phlegm seems to be the mastermind here and he also seems to have the greatest number of acts to his merit, here crafting an act that sounds more like a combination of The Crusher-era Amon Amarth, Bolt Thrower and Unleashed. In a similar fashion to Bolt Thrower, the band have also crafted a war-themed style of metal, albeit a little bit brighter and punchier than anything I’ve heard from Bolt Thrower. I’ve never really gotten into that act personally, as they always came off a bit bland, but the fact that these guys just seem to offer a bit more bite than those death metal legends ever did IMO (and I’m aware that this is a very controversial opinion for most death metal fans) makes them well worth listening to.
My favorite cut on the disc is “A Satisfying Death” due it’s pummeling mix of thrash bravado and some rather awesome vocal lines from Phlegm. It is also the only song on the record that has a guitar solo, which I’m quite upset about. Yes, the solo utilized is worthy of it being the disc’s sole solo moment, but it just seems a bit odd that a band with this much experience would simply throw their solo nodes in the garbage. They could have only spiced up some of the more filler cuts like “Approaching Cauldron Of Horror” which attempted a Ministry-esque notion of sound clips and ended up annoying me in the process. Sound clips are fine for industrial type metal approaches, but placing them directly in the middle of the instrumentation is unforgivable in my book. On the other hand, numbers like “The Devil’s Piano” and “Iron Bottom Sound” just plain deliver classic/death thrash, which is always welcome. For the most part, listeners are getting a relatively solid death metal album with some surprisingly boisterous thrash sections. I don’t believe there will be any real complaints here, and I’m sure that not everyone will even find the sound clips I mentioned to be a real issue. Destroyer of Mankind will not reinvent the genre, but those looking for a dose of core-free death metal with an especially proficient level of drum work will surely find something worthwhile here. I found it more entertaining than I would have some of the acts that influenced it, and that is quite exciting.
