Originally written by Erik Thomas
With a legacy (and former members) firmly rooted in country matesDestroyer 666 and Abominator, Australia’s Destruktor charge out of the gates with intent to maim and kill on their full length debut, a debut that would have fit perfectly on Pulverised Records, but Hell Headbangers is appropriate also.
Brittle and grim with a relentless warlike pace, the 10 tracks and 45 minutes that comprise the aptly titled Nailed is a perfect blend of raucous blackened thrash (Nifelheim, Destroyer 666 of course, etc) and the Ibex Moon Recordsroster (Incantation, Hod, Rape, Pillage & Burn, Thornafire , etc). The vocals of guitarist Glenn Destruktor are a perfect match, being a low key but menacing, gruff growl, that’s there, but neither over bearing or too weak as he bellows about the expected topics (“Embrace the Fire,” “Violence Unseen,” “Endless Reign of Terror,” “Spawning the Immortal”).
Don’t expect anything other than a merciless assault of blast beats and slightly punk infused totalitarian riffs and the occasional war march slow down (“Forward We March,” “After Death Murmurs”) as Destruktor take no prisoners in typically direct Australian fashion. The production is suitably gritty, but with enough edge to make riffs slice into flesh and cauterize wounds as heard on “Meccademon.” Even with all the tenacity, there is still a saurian intelligence crafted behind the material, as the closer “Spawning the Immortal” shows with an almost epic sense of structure that hints atDestruktor being able to deliver more than a sonic shitstorm – if they chooseto ease off the pedal for a second or two.
Recommended for fans of any of the bands listed above but also the fan of the more tangibly nasty metal that’s come out recently like Teitanblood, Necrovation and Mitochondrion. Destruktor shows there is little else to do in Australia than drink, fight, fuck and make nasty death metal.
