Search - Destroy Destroy Destroy :: Devour the Power

What metal ought to be but sadly isn't

Michael Keeves | Nashville, TN | 09/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You just don't get this type of metal anymore. Ride off to a mystical land of swords and demons and evil bitches! The force at which this album will hit you in the crotch is beyond compare. They don't often make good metal like this anymore, so do yourself a favor and pick this one up lest the gods of metal rain vengeance down upon your puny skull."

Funny name, amazing results

Alex A. Fintonis | Bay City, MI United States | 10/11/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I happened upon this album while browsing through a record store. I was looking through the metal cds and all of sudden I found a band named Destroy Destroy Destroy. The title of the album entitled "Devour the Power" .The name of the band grabbed me right away, mainly because it was a bit over top and kind of ridiculous. However under closer inspection, the album cover kept my interest. It has an image of demon like beast on it and there was a sticker that stated "for fans of Children of Bodom, Dragonforce, and Hammerfall". Well being a fan of all three of those bands I decided to sample it on a sample player. The sample player would play me about 30 seconds of each track. After doing so I immediately made the decision to purchase it. Not only that but the price for the cd was only $9.99.



When I got home I popped the album into my player and was extremely pleased in what I heard. This band had mixed power metal with black and thrash metal, and they had done pretty darn good job of it. The riffs are fast and very hard with keyboards that sound a lot like Dragonforce. The vocals for almost the whole record remain in a black metal style with some death metal growls thrown in hear and there. The lyrics are mainly fantasy based with some Viking style subject matter. Being a new band, as far as I can tell this is Destroy Destroy Destroy's debut record and they have produce one heavy mother of an album that shreds pretty hard. All of the tracks pummel your head, however some stand out tracks in my opinion are "Hang the Vermin", "Battle Cry", and "Ripped apart by the Juggernaut" just to name a few. Anyone who is a hardcore metal head would enjoy this album. It has lots of guitars and thunderous drums. However one has to get past the keyboards. At first they caught me a bit off guard but I got use to them pretty fast. I will say if you like power metal you will love this. If power metal is not quite your thing then defiantly sample the record first. I will say that this is a much darker, and deadlier version of any power metal band I have heard. A good solid debut for a new metal band and I hope to hear more from these lads in the future.

"

A very fun album

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 04/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Destroy Destroy Destroy are one of the newest bands to take part in the recently popular "prog/power metal revival" movement. And even though their debut, last year's "Devour The Power," doesn't exactly break new ground in the genre, it is distinguishable from most of the works put out by most of DX3's peers for three reasons. Firstly, this Tennessee-based sextet don't bother with "epic" song lengths -- the whole record is only eleven tracks and thirty-nine minutes long, so the songs are concise. Next, the band aren't overly reliant on keyboard solos. Sure, a couple pop up here and there, but they clearly would much rather rip through your speakers with guitars and pummel you with drums. And finally, Destroy Destroy Destroy incorporate several different genres and influences into their music - their overall sound is like a mix of progressive, power speed, Bay Area thrash, Viking, and black/gothic metal. As a result, "Devour The Power" is heavier and punchier than, say, Three Inches of Blood's "Advance And Vanquish," and it is also a lot more straightforward and easy to digest than most of the stuff put out by a band like Dragonforce.



"Devour The Power" grooves surprisingly hard and forcefully, shreds really convincingly, and is usually quite catchy, too. The musicianship heard here is remarkably tight; Destroy Destroy Destroy intertwine speedy riffs and thrashy, shredding leads with larynx shredding black metal shrieks/rasps, deft, bouncy, black (or thrash) metal-esque blast beats, and top it all off with a few well-placed keyboard flourishes. DX3 allow just the right amount of their progressive and power metal influences to shine through - enough to give the music a bit of variety without killing its energy and excitement. So, yes, these songs are very fast and muscular, but they never become overwhelming to listen to.



The album starts to sound similar after a while, so it will probably take repeated listens to tell one track from another, but there are several highlights here. Some of the most notable moments include the blistering (but still groovey) guitars and thunderous drums of "Hang The Vermin"; the lengthy, melodic keyboard runs and catchy "Oooh, oooh" sing-along in "Gods Of War And Open Sores"; the impeccable double bass work in "Battle Cry"; the superbly rhythmic and hooky "The Beast The Cannot Be Fed"; the slower, ominous "Mutilated Cranial Orifice"; and the two closing blitzkriegs, "Hellfire" and "Bring On The Exodus," which attack at breakneck speed, and are fueled by buzzsaw riffs and quickly thumping drums (plus, the latter track has a surprisingly slow ending when a cool piano enters the scene.)



It won't change the face of music or convert any non-fans of this type of music, but "Devour The Power" is still a good and completely listenable album which makes for numerous enjoyable listening sessions, and is a great, promising start for Destroy Destroy Destroy."