Sentence of Death

Similarly to what their country fellows Sodom and Kreator made in the early 80's, these German metallers brought out a release that would be part of the earliest wave in the black metal scene. Building on the blueprint of Venom, Motörhead (just look at the cover, three guys who look like the members of this band playing speedish music) and Celtic Frost, this release would address the band's obsessions with Satanism and deprivation that would best characterize black metal music. Black metal during the 80's consisted of thrashy or speedy numbers dealing with Satanism, plus other components, such as a raw and dirty production, tremendously distorted guitars, shrieky vocals, and an unbearably tense atmosphere; and this is what best describes Destruction's debut EP.

Comprised of six tracks, the EP kicks in with a spoken intro, which being something made up by Schmier, sounds like a speech from Satan himself. Afterwards, the release would continue with five of the rawest tracks that the black metal scene has ever offered thus far. "Total Disaster" is a perfect title for the next piece, since itself is a pure lay of insane speed, while "Black Mass" is more of a Venom meets Mercyful Fate thing. While it begins in a mid-pace, it then grows into a faster number with an incredible intro that precisely resembles Mercyful Fate's guitar playing (i.e., something trickly melodic that seems to move far beyond).

While "Satan's Vengeance" and "Devil Soldier's" seem to be the perfect source of inspiration for Bathory (please refer to their third release "Under the Sign of the Black Mark"), the third track is precisely what black metal started to lack since the early 90's: an insane butcher who kills his victims unmercifully. But besides the crazy lyrics that accompany this number, the frantic pace in which it runs and the menacing intro riff made this song the perfect black metal piece and a song that would provide some basis for their next releases. Furthermore, the version featured in this release would be the best and the rawest.

That said, the debut EP remains alongside Sodom's EP and Kreator's debut as the best black metal releases that Germany provided during the '80s. With no doubts, this German band provided a lesson on how to kill a horse with the help of the drums. And although it would not be as harsh as the albums mentioned above, it is a release that those who want a real lesson on violence will enjoy. Although many listeners consider that "Sentence of Death" is simply a speed metal release, what is true is that the album goes far beyond in terms of darkness and rawness. And to make things more interesting, this EP was released in 1988 together with their full-length debut release, so the listener has the chance to enjoy a lengthier dose of frantic metal madness.

It came as a slight shock to me that this EP was released as early as 1984, particularly as one tends to think of the German thrash acts coming slightly later than their Bay Area peers. However, it makes more sense in the view that thrash found Destruction rather than Destruction finding thrash, a view upheld by the fact that the three-piece were influenced more by Venom than Metallica, as one can judge by the lyrics and vocals on this release. I would prefer to call this fast heavy metal than thrash metal, something that was still in the system when the full-length Infernal Overkill hit the streets the following year.

What we find on Sentence of Death is a high-energy melodic delivery of Satanic garbage, constructed mainly around Mike Sifringer's slightly unusual riffing style. What makes the riff delivery interesting is that there is relatively little use of palm-muting in the sense that Hetfield et al were using it, while the riffs don't have the essential "choppiness" of thrash, instead racing forwards on light and sprightly combinations of notes and fills that often prefer speed over heaviness. There are elements and moments that are decidedly not speed metal and engage with the new extreme styles, not least in the verses of 'Satan's Vengeance', where a primitive kind of death metal riff can be heard blurring up on the bass and approaching blastbeats on the drums, something that was extremely rare for the year. However, the thing that is easy to announce is that all the songs are fast and you will be able to bang your head like a crazy person for the duration, since there certainly aren't any slow or dull parts.

In fact, Destruction try to pack as much heaviness and excitement into the release as possible, occasionally to the extent that it is overdone, resulting in slight difficulties distinguishing between the fast parts of each song and especially navigating a path through the scramble of quick solos, which bear extreme similarity to each other. There is some melody to be found in the leads, but it is such a small amount to distract from the speed fetish that it doesn't help a great deal. The opening of 'Black Mass' provides the most controlled passage of guitar work, shooting off a repeating lead to provide some measure of atmosphere and juice to an otherwise dryish sound. Schmier's vocals contribute to atmosphere too, sounding generally sicker and messier than your heavy metal or even thrash metal singer, even if he does use his trick of screeching horribly too many times.

For a small selection of songs, one would expect Sentence of Death to represent consistently high quality. In general, nothing truly disappoints, although 'Devil's Soldiers' is a lower grade closer, using a stalling rhythm to poor effect and not reaching the same levels of excitement as the other offerings. 'Mad Butcher' perhaps comes off best, sounding reasonably similar to its recorded version, while 'Satan's Vengeance' is the place to go for a touch of something different. Despite the timing of this EP and its position at the start of Germany's thrash wave, Sentence of Death is no reason to get too excited.

Similar to the other famous German thrash three-piece called Sodom, Destruction kicked off their career with an EP. One could not ignore that "Sentence of Death" wanted to shock at any cost. This intention was already demonstrated by the cover photo. The dress code of the band balanced on the thin line between truthfulness and absurdity. As if that were not enough, the lyrics pointed in the same direction. No, I must correct myself. They were even worse. I do not want to give examples, that´s not worth it. Just read the lines of "Total Desaster" or "Mad Butcher" and you will know what I mean.

Did I speak of "Total Desaster" and "Mad Butcher"? In terms of music, these tunes were outstanding examples of early German thrash metal. "Total Desaster" offered the straightest approach. It was like an explosion. Its effective main riff and the rapid chorus formed a deadly torpedo. Additionally, the band used a lot of reverb and a lot of delays of echoes in order to create an overwhelming overall picture. Not least because of this technical implementation, the vocals played their part in an appropriate manner. Nevertheless, the merciless riffs built the most important element of the song. "Mad Butcher" presented very straight segments as well as an almost playful guitar line at the beginning. A fine solo and a crashing middle-part completed the song.

The remaining tunes did not reach the same quality level. However, they did not lack of directness and belligerence. Of course, the songwriting skills of the debutants were not yet fully developed. Compared with the mature track configurations of their subsequent full-length, some parts of this first vinyl left a fairly crude impression. Especially the more or less chaotic "Devil´s Soldier" lacked of structure. But we may not forget that the band made its first steps into business. Due to this fact, a few minor imperfections should not be overemphasized.

The well balanced production did not fail to attract attention. From my point of view, it delivered a high degree of power. Well, when looking back at the year 1984, I have to admit that we did not have many opportunities to compare. There were only few bands existing that offered a similar approach. This was also one reason why "Sentence of Death" catapulted the band at the top of the German thrash scene. But it was not the main cause for the success of this output. The furious music of the EP made clear that Destruction had the skills that you need in order to play a dominant role for a long time.

Mere months after Germany got its inaugural ass-kicking from the developing Sodom and their infectious debut EP, another entity came along and veritably rocked the scene all the way to its core. Eschewing the NWOBHM/Punk stylings and straightforward, street-riffing simplicity of their peers, Destruction instead prescribed to the serrated precision of the Bay Area brigade, taking Metallica and Slayer as gospel rather than Venom. The technical force of Sentence of Death is immediately evident, and must have been quite a statement at the time, literally a new banner for the Germans to fly, one that could stand toe to toe with anyone else out there, if not use its precise pugilism to beat them to a bloody, quivering pulp.

Sentence of Death is a precision carving into the developing flesh of thrash metal, and stands as a ripping good listen nearly 30 years later, having lost little, if any, of its nasty, cutting charm. Destruction presented an interesting take on the acrobatic thrash riffing of their American cousins, whipping about the fret board in a frenzy. Whereas Sodom chose a few punishing chords and constructed them into a few punishing riffs per song, Destruction’s method was much more clinical and evolved, piecing together long strings of sweet notation and slathering their violent riffing in an abundance of sweet solo’s. As far as I know, this put most other thrash of the period to shame, in terms of pure ability. At nineteen and a half minutes, this is almost exactly as long as its cohort in crime, In the Sign of Evil. Not long by any stretch, but the material here is densely packed and hungry for blood. Certainly, the content is much more menacing than the goofy cover image. Perhaps this looked cool to people at some point, but it only makes me laugh incredulously. It’s oddly endearing, though, like all those other things that are so overtly and unapologetically 80’s tend to be. Just look at that hair!

Total Desaster (…desaster?) charges right ahead after a short intro, and while the riffing technique used was not exactly unique in a musical world where Kill em All was king, the vocals of Schmier certainly served to slap fans upside the face with this unique flavor. His psychotic, slimy, slur of a yell is not too unlike Angelripper in that it was much dirtier than the norm, but his higher pitch and wild inflections put a trademark stamp on their style. Black Mass kicks off with an excellent solo and slams through a smattering of semi-technical bravado that wouldn’t sound out of place on one of the better Megadeth records. Mad Butcher is still one of their most iconic songs, a driving and straight-to-the-point exhibition of delicate, evolving, razor-sharp riffing patterns that don’t shy from the minor frets… probably my favorite song on the record. Satan’s Vengeance and Devil’s Soldiers are also pretty hostile, the first a consistent fast-paced thrasher, while the second builds some atmosphere before letting loose it’s hectic, mildly blackened aggression. Not all the riffing is equally memorable, but it’s without fail pretty strong, and you won’t ever be bored for its short duration.

For all the EP’s strengths, though, my socks still weren’t really knocked off. For whatever reason, early Destruction has never exerted complete dominion over my soul, a trait that extends to lots of classic thrash that many metal heads consider to be, well, classic. Not to infer that this is in any way lacking (though their ensuing full-lengths were a bit of a slog for me), but it’s just not perfection to my ears. As to why that is, I’d guess that as a young adult of today, it’s harder for me to appreciate and identify with material that may have rocked my world had I not grown up with unceasing brutality handed to me on a silver platter. For example, the natural impact of Left Hand Path is no doubt lessened when you’ve grown up listening to Behemoth. That said, I love some other classic metal from this time period much more, so whether or not it’s because of desensitization or just plain natural preference is not entirely clear. Perhaps both, to some degree. In any case, I wouldn’t say it’s perfect by any stretch, but Sentence of Death is cool both historically and based on its own merits, and I echo most praise for it, if not quite to the same degree of rabid fellatio. For 20 minutes, this is a lot of material, and it's short enough to not overstay its welcome or stagnate in any way. It’s worth owning, and chances are if you’re an incorrigible thrash hound, you will find yourself much more smitten than I. Certainly all the young headbangers would do well to give this a go as well, if only for evolutionary knowledge of your chosen art form.

Sentence of Death is a pretty ambitious start, but only a hint at the coming changes that Destruction would continue to exhibit, for better or worse. In a world-wide context, it’s perhaps not the most unique slab of thrash ever penned, but its impact on the German scene was, and is, immense. It's also just damn good, slightly more fun than In the Sign of Evil even, and a nice bar set for both the band and the scene in general, instantly ingratiating themselves to the more technically-inclined thrashers of the world. With solid riffs, strong musicianship, and the drive to pull the elements into exciting cohesion, Destruction's debut is a pretty forceful statement, one that stood at the crest of the coming tidal wave of German thashing excellence.

-Left Hand of Dog
http://reaperdivision.blogspot.com/

This is the debut EP from Destruction. Released on SPV Records in 1984. This one came at a very important time. As the thrash scene in the United States was getting hot with bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax, Germany wanted part of the action. This EP is fantastic! It features 3 rerecorded songs from the Bestial Invasion of Hell demo and 2 new ones. The production is much better as one could expect. And while the rerecorded songs had been tweeked a bit here and there they sound a lot more brutal on the demo. Usually the case as far as demos are concerned.

The two new songs, Black Mass and Devil's Soldiers are pretty good. Black Mass is good but forgetable as it does not feature any innovative riffs or a catchy chorus. Devil's Soldiers is a lost gem in the Destruction catalog. While being very simple and straight to the point it is a very fun listen.

This EP is mandatory for not only Destruction fans but for all fans of the German thrash scene. It has shown that the band was not afraid to progress and try new things. The intro to Total Desaster is a prime example. The vocals are influenced more by metal this time around as Bestial Invasion of Hell demo had a punk vibe to it when it came to the vocals. The innovative riffs and leads by Mike Sifringer are beautiful. This was only the start to what this man could do with a guitar. An intensely aggressive and fun listen is what this EP brings to the table. I enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane while listening to this album and had a great time reviewing it. I hope this helps you.

The 'other' major release in the budding Teutonic thrash movement of 1984, the Sentence of Death EP marked Destruction's first foray into the theater of war, and a rather stunning piece that would help define the future sounds of myriad thrash artists. Similar to Sodom, they were a three piece, with Schmier on vocals/bass, Mike on the guitar and Tommy Sandmann performing drums, and the EP is about the same length, with five songs and an intro. However, where Tom Angelripper and crew derived most heavily from some of the dirtier NWOBHM acts and a clear forceful punk influences, Schmier and company were far more comparable to the early sounds of bands like Metallica and Megadeth.

In other words, they seemed immensely competent right as they blasted out the opening gates, and despite its rather crude atmosphere, Sentence of Death is already tense with the band's trademark riffing. Spry, dynamic guitars dance across steady, driving beats, and the tone is just incredibly meaty throughout, with great lead skills cutting through the writhing rhythms. Easily one of the more inventive bands to come along at this period, they put most of their peers to shame with their ability, and Schmier's vocals were some of the most insipid and violent out there, a nasty rasp that focused his accent into a cutting knife. Not to mention, the iconic cover photo pretty much helped to define the entire 'look' of extreme metal (thrash, black, and death), with the solid leather and bullet belt get-ups, don't give a fuck attitude and between the three, more hair than the devil's genital region.

It doesn't hurt that two of the band's most famous tracks, and arguably two of the best thrash/speed tunes in all of metal history, are present here. "Total Desaster" bursts in straight after the intro, with its ripping saw guitars, vocal and counter vocals in which Schmier initiates us with his mid range serpent spits into disheveled carnivorous shrieking, but "Mad Butcher" easily takes the cake for its stupendously memorable guitar lines that were easily the equal of anything a Hetfield, King or Mustaine could write during this same period. In fact, after hearing "Mad Butcher", I'm sure many other emerging thrash acts were scared for their very existence, because it's pretty much intimidation 101. Playful, aggressive and razor sharp, it is the very definition of the classic, and one can only imagine how many guitarists through the years have sat mesmerized as they learned the riffs.

The remainder of the EP is also quite good, though perhaps not so ultimately memorable. The 'intro' features walls of guitar shred, while "Black Mass" seems like a faster speed answer to Metallica's "Seek and Destroy". "Satan's Vengeance" is anointed with Schmier's schizoid laughter, fun and frenzied guitar patterns and a bridge blitz not unlike "Mad Butcher", though the chorus here is more like a breakdown that reminds me of their later "Eternal Ban". The final track, "Devil's Soldiers", is the worst of the EP, but it's constant cymbal crashing and sporadic, cystic guitars at least remain consistent to the rest of the content, and there's a nice outbreak in the middle over which a quality solo is slathered. The knife might be a little duller than "Mad Butcher" or "Total Desaster", but force it hard enough to the skin and blood shall still be drawn.

Sentence of Death is a superb opening chapter for one of thrash's eldest statesmen, and it's all too easy to forgive their fucking off from about 1991-1999 with just a spin of its contents. All said, this is perhaps one of the best EPs ever released in all metal, instantly addictive and consuming, the sort of game changer that instantly must have had many new European bands of the 80s rethinking and reworking their own strategies. It's impact is clearly felt in a lot of German thrash and speed metal to follow, and as the band even considered themselves 'black speed metal' at the time, you can imagine it had an even wider appeal. Dark, invigorating, and proficient, it remains one of the best Destruction releases to date, surpassed only by their staggering 2001 surprise The Antichrist.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

The Biggest difficulty with getting yourself to actually listen to Sentence of Death is looking beyond possibly the dullest logo ever and the most hideous band picture you can imagine. It’s not because of the leather and ammo belts nor that graveyard. No, these dudes were ugly, so amazingly ugly. And! It must be said, from this day on glam bands had much difficulties getting even bigger hair!

The moment ‘Total Desaster’ bursts through the speaker it’s clear who the main influence are here: Slayer! The riffs, the pace. It’s the über-simplistic satanahrashing way with a constant polka pace taken back from Slayer to The Continent. However one can already hear the tendencies to write more technical riffs and the vocals are different as well, focussing more on Quorthonian gruff screams. ‘Satan's Vengeance’ simply continues this style.

‘Mad Butcher’ takes it all a bit further. The brilliant intro riff being slightly more elaborate and taking more influences directly from heavy metal itself than Slayer would ever do throughout their career. Add to this a catchy chorus and we can speak of a truly great song! ‘Black Mass’ with it’s laid back intro, has more diversity, melody and one can hear these guys can really play and try to be a bit more technical than the average in-your-face thrash act.

But no matter how classic and great eighties Destruction over all were. A song like ‘Devil's Soldiers’ is pretty damn bad, mostly because of the Neanderthal pummelling drums. And it’s pretty easy to hear where Sepultura found the inspiration for their song ‘Antichirst’ or for that matter Sarcófago for their entire INRI album (not forgetting how important Bathory’s ‘The Return was’ of course).

Sentenced of death is a great piece of history even though the band were playing at the maximum of their abilities and one can hear it. Influential, evil, fast, proto death thrash they way we all love.

They are the pioneers of the first way of German thrash metal along with Sodom and Kreator. They are Destruction! Their debut EP is still regarded as a milestone in the whole extreme movement in the world. If Kreator and Sodom were a bit more violent and extreme, Destruction with this debut were already prepared to massacre our ears with a solid thrash metal. The Bay Area influences are remarkable but the product sounds quite personal too.

After a small intro, we can really taste the greatness of this band with the piece of history called “Total Disaster”. The main riff is repeated lots of times with different more melodic breaks and a great solo. The up tempo parts are always present and the bass sound by a young Schmier is always pounding. The following “ Black Mass”, initially, is more mid paced with a great melodic tapping guitar solo that fits perfectly to create an apocalyptic atmosphere. Then it turns faster again. The guitars sound in very raw in the distortion, as the drum is too. The sound is like a “poorly distorted one”, very metallic and skeletal.

It’s impossible to remain indifferent when you listen to the mighty “Mad Butcher” with his unmistakable main guitar riff on the scale and the following punk up tempo. The vocals here are more vicious but in some ways, always quite thrash. It’s difficult to meet some death or black influences here because the whole “package” sounds quite pure. The influences from early Slayer or Venom are inevitable in a violent song like “Satan’s Vengeance” during the guitars parts and vocals. The solos are always goodly structured and executed. Surely Destruction were the most “technical band” of the German Thrash trio.

The few melodic breaks are great to reduce a bit the impact of songs that are mainly focused on the up tempo sessions. “Devil’s Soldiers” is an example of that, with a melodic intro and the following speed restart. Here the axes have a punk touch too that makes the song even more enjoyable and “in your face”. All in all, a must for very thrasher that either wants to know the origins of German thrash or wants to brush up his thrash knowledge.

Though not as great as what Sodom would do a few months later. It may be more technical, musically proficient and tighter, but the catchiness took a few listens to get behind. Anyways, onto the music...

As great as this EP is, the intro is extremely cheese dick. "Total Destruction!!!" Almost Spinal Tap worthy. But once this silly intro subsides, the thrashing starts with some guitar noises and finger tapping, before going into a fast paced riff, which leads the song for the next 4 minutes. The lyrics are lovable, and quite good for an early german thrash band. Black Mass continues the trend of great songwriting, but the main riff is a bit herky jerky and has one of the oddest rhythms I've ever heard. It sounds really out of place with the rest of the song. Mad Butcher is the second best song on here behind Total Desaster. It would be redone later with better production qualities, but for 1984, this will suffice. Devil's Soldiers has a softer intro, with some acoustic effects, before it leads into the typical thrash affair the rest of this album goes through.

All in all, Destruction would get better. Infernal Overkill, Eternal Devestation and especially the masterpiece Release From Fucking Agony would improve on their songwriting and production skills. The production on here is pretty bad, with the drums overpowering everything, but if you can get behind that, you'll find a lot to enjoy here.

This was the first official release of Thrash in Germany. It's historically important, and for it's time pretty brutal. The production is actually pretty decent on this EP, much better than on "Infernal Overkill". The songs themselves are speedy german thrash. More in the early speed metal vein than the proto-death metalness of "Endless Pain" or the Black metal "In the Sign of Evil" that was released a few months after this.

"Total Desaster" is definatley what this EP gives you. Speedy thrash riffs throughout this song, Schmier's early voice and evil lyrics make this a classic track. One of Destruction's best and is still played live in thier setlist today. They sure don't write them like this anymore. Extermely catchy as plenty of nice lead guitar.

"Mad Butcher" is next, and this is the song that Destruction is well known for the most part. Some crazy riffage in here, and the thrash break.....awesome, pure genious. Awesome lyrics and we have ourselves another classic track.

"Satan's Vengence" is another slab of catchy speed/thrash. Schmier has some nice shrieks in this one too. Mike has some nice soloing in it and it is quite catchy. Headbangage is to be found on this.

"Devil's Soliders" is a bit strange in riff construction. They have one really weird riff that dosen't see to fit, but the rest of the riffs are just as good as any of the others on this EP. Probably the weakest thing on here.

This was where the German thrash scene started. Three awesome songs and one average one. Evil, pissed off, and full of riffs. Should you get it? Yes, of course. It's usually packed together with "Infernal Overkill" on one cd now. If you like thrash (and who dosen't?) get this. RECOMMENDED

"The end is near...Lucifer's legions of death are ready for attack..."

It was a time when Germany’s borders were breaking at its crust, sinking into the molten core of whatever lies beneath it from the sheer metallic weight of the country’s fledgling metal scene. It was a time when Germany had to be distinguished between east and west (no bands were from the east, so why bother, eh?). It was a time when bands actually looked metal and not like ghosts, rummage salesmen, or Kojak impersonators. It’s a time now gone.

To expand a little on the third point, whether you’re buying the domestic or import pressing of Sentence of Death, one glance at either cover and you're well aware your hard earned cash has been spent on metal that will most assuredly sound nothing like Dokken, Heavy Pettin’ or Kick Axe. They were perhaps one of the most visually thrashed out bands of the time that would likely erupt in a dazzling display of gunshots if ever caught in a forest fire, yet some say they didn’t quite play as they looked. Thrash was still a new discovery in ’84. Tradition doesn’t go out the window when a new style strolls along, and is why there are a few flashes of such in the trio’s style. As well, Destruction supplied their tracks with a little more intricacy and small injections of complexity than Kreator and a lot more than Sodom. Living Death was barely in the same league.

My affection for early German thrash has always transcended my fondness for the American style save a band or two (not that there was much to work with). While thrash is supposed to be on the wild side, the krauts usually went the more savage route i.e. more untamed vocals, more over-the-top intensity, and a penchant for the darker side of sound.

If this is your first voyage into the war-torn land of Destruction, you’re welcomed with an intro with the quaint charm of a street riot, a guitar eruption of Exciter/”Oblivion” quality that roars like the wrecking ball’s motor and squeals like the twisting girders it’s demolishing. A detonation thunders “Total Desaster” to life, one of the band’s most maniacal creations that introduces the echoed, paint-peeling shriekorama of Schmier and some terrorizing rhythms that will have people running. “Black Mass” is a little less aggressive in its initial moments, but unfurls with a mid-riff/percussion marriage so skewed it’s almost like an accidental collision of instrumentation. The rest of it battles on swiftly, if not rather conventionally to call side one quits.

Side two calls “Mad Butcher” to arms, a song that would become their quasi-anthem and ethereal mascot. An uprising, involved rhythm flies until it hits the unyielding wall …“...you lie on your back…”…where’re the deafening warhead impacts in the Mad Butcher ep version? “Satan’s Vengeance” takes no recourse in some of the lyrical levity of its precursor and delivers another uncompromising speedster until after the last chorus where that traditionalism transcends the thrash. “Devil’s Soldiers”…Christ, it just goes haywire with a heretical main riff that almost seems unhinged, the hiss of perpetual cymbal work, a final frenzied solo, and when Schmier orders you to run for your lives, most back then took heed.

When the British wave was faltering only a few steps and the Scorpions were considered Germany’s greatest export at the time, Sentence of Death was indeed a breath of fume-choked air that I couldn’t get enough of, which is probably why my growth stunted at a towering 5’6”.

"...the fire of hell will destroy the fools..."

The first release from these now legendary German thrashers arrived in the time of the uprising first wave of black metal together with the oncoming masses of thrash and speed metal, and brings in a lethal dose of all this into five fast, hard-hitting and less than varied riff-monsters. Anthrax kicked the world hard in the face with the lethal debut "Fistful of Metal", Metallica delivered their monstrous sophomore album "Ride The Lightning", Overkill and Slayer released legendary debuts "Feel The Fire" and "Show No Mercy", and at the same time Hellhammer and Destruction's countrymen Sodom were zooming ahead with gruesome black metal monsters. Among them all, the "Sentence of Death" EP seems still a little weak compared to lots of great names around the time, and Destruction had not at all developed the magnificent songwriting skills they'd come to grow very shortly. The second LP and EP, "Eternal Devastation" and "Mad Butcher" is far beyond "Sentence of Death" and "Infernal Overkill" in songwriting - however, the production is equally flat and poor on all of them. But credit must be given to some of the coolest album names ever.

"Sentence of Death" is raw, fast and angry, with satanic lyrics and the classic imagery of the Destruction spikes n' leather and bulletbelts, and it rages ahead with some pretty poor quality but riffs that are sure to snap some necks, which I believe is all they were aiming for. Schmier's vocals are raw, but less than vicious, and the riffwork is not at all complemented well in the production and comes off as weak, but overall, this EP I'd say is definitely above "Infernal Overkill" in the songwriting department. Already on this one the songs had a tendency to run into eachother and not be to remarkable individually, but in a combined force they prove to demolish you pretty good, and is definitely a fun listen if you want some raw German aggressions.
The basis for this CD is pretty standard riffage for it's time, it's fast and it's fun but it's nothing that really stands out. The drumming is also quite unremarkable. It does a good, standard job with minimal fills and maximal intensity. That's really all there is to say about this EP - It's not bad by any means, but with all the great stuff that was already flying around, you could do much better.

The highlights are hard to pick, since like I said, there isn't much variety at all and the songs seem to flow into one another, but I think opening track "Total Disaster" and closing track "Devil's Soldiers" have some of the catchiest riffage. And the original version of the classic "Mad Butcher" is here of course, and while not at all as insane as the one on the EP with the same name, it's still a very competent thrasher.
"Sentence of Death" overall is a competent release, but nothing mandatory except for the thrash maniacs. It's a classic release, but not all that great.