Storm of Steel

Holy shit! What the shit is this? Where did this come from? So many questions ran through my head when I first randomly found and downloaded this EP (remember this is JUST an EP) and first listened to the title track, Storm Of Steel. Destructor come straight out of the US but play a distinct style of power/thrash metal that is fast and furious all while being quite melodic and old school. The attitude of denim and leather stick out, glorifying metal as well as keeping the true nature of how metal should be at the forefront.

This neat little EP was released as part of the Keep it True Metal Festival in 2007, but I swear the awesome curb stomp of a metal attack that comes out of this little EP sounds like it came straight from 1984. Destructor play power/thrash metal that isn’t quite comparable to many bands that I can think of off the top of my head, but this is such a fun release that it’ll be playing for quite some time and definitely leave me wanting their next full length release. The title track is a monster track with a fantastic chorus as well as some heavy hitting riffs, very fast and quite melodic. The lead guitar work is just as fancy and even more impressive, with fast leads that shred fences with each note. Remember the twin guitar attacks of the gods of metal like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden and how awesome it was? Year so do Destructor. These guys have been around since 1984 and more than 20 years later they can release something like this, they will eternally have my respect. Next up is Tear Down the Heavens which is just as if not more awesome than the title track with a fucking insane lead guitar rampage at the end of the song as well as a forceful riff fest similar to Painkiller-era Judas Priest or something from Exciter. The chorus also is quite mighty, after one listen you’ll be hitting the “Back” button just so you can sing along again.

Also found on this EP are two live songs from the Festival, Storm of Steel again and Sonic Bullet. Both songs are just as mighty and sound very clear and clean as if it could be a studio recording. Sonic Bullet has the intensity and packs a punch seeming to be a fun song in concert, with David “Overkill” Just performing very well live, belting out a crazy vocal performance as well as playing guitar.. and this guy has GOT to be over 45! It’s truly amazing. We Are Ready is an exclusive song found on an earlier demo which is quite old school sounding, very Jag Panzer, Judas Priest-ish featuring a less but still decent production and the perfect old-school METAL vibe.

Boys and girls, children under 16, THIS is what I call METAL. This makes me proud to be a metalhead. This is the something that glorifies metal in a great way and doesn’t make it cheesy or false, all while still being great tunes and awesome performances. If you have not heard Destructor or this Storm Of Steel EP or their following full length, I strongly recommend you to check this out. If you’re a metalhead, I’d go as far to say as it’s something essential and necessary like those Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Tyrant albums. It’s certainly something valuable and rare to find in 2007 a band as dedicated to metal as Destructor and giving the performance of a lifetime, executing a metal performance so well. Even if you don’t get the follow up LP, get this for the two songs Storm Of Steel and Tear Down The Heavens, both songs are essential metal anthems; they’re in league with Manowar and Judas Priest for making “metal anthems”, yeah you know what I’m talking about. I give major props to Destructor for being such an awesome band and still going strong after more than 20 years playing metal and playing it so fucking well.