DESTRUCTION - All Hell Breaks Loose
May 6, 2000, 24 years ago
(Nuclear Blast)
Now this is what a reunion should sound like. Slowly but surely over their career, Destruction got real lost, misdirected and their material began to suffer terribly. Lineup changes, label woes and overall unhappiness added to the downfall. But alas, Schmier (vocals/bass) and Mike (axes) have mended and matured, pulled the knives outta their backs and pointed them right at 1985, satisfying our cravings for a true return to form, ala Infernal Overkill/Infernal Eternal Devastation/Release From Agony - ie the glory years of German thrash. All Hell Breaks Loose begins with the patented acoustic intro, the calm before the storm as it were, crashing into 'The Final Curtain', making it readily apparent that the band approached this album with their fans in mind. So pull out your neck braces cuz this record is fast, almost too fast! Producer Tagtgren's cleanup job on the band is crystalline, but you wish for a small dose of past dirt to sneak in there as the record can be likened to Testament's last album, The Gathering. 'The Butcher Strikes Back', 'Devastation Of Your Soul' and the title track are ravaging and satisfying. Now life would be nearly complete if Kreator followed suit.
