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Destruction > Cracked Brain > Reviews
Destruction - Cracked Brain

Far better than it should have been - 88%

Agonymph, September 13th, 2021

‘Cracked Brain’ is the only Schmierless Destruction album still considered part of the band’s official discography for a reason: it’s simply really good. The album was written and recorded in a time of turmoil, as evidenced by only three of the five performers being pictured on the artwork – and that does not even include singer André Grieder, who basically recorded his vocals as a favor to a bunch of friends. Destruction also reportedly wasted quite a bit of far too expensive studio time in the process. Considering these circumstances, ‘Cracked Brain’ should not be as good as it is.

Schmier left the band during the creation of ‘Cracked Brain’ partly out of frustration with the band’s increasingly technical compositions. But while ‘Cracked Brain’ is still fairly complex thrash metal, it does feel a tad more streamlined than its predecessor ‘Release From Agony’. The twisted riffs are still fired at the listener in bulk and with surgical precision, Harry Wilkens’ eighties guitar hero-inspired leads still set it apart from Destruction albums he doesn’t play on, but the choruses are generally more open and memorable than anything on its predecessor. ‘Cracked Brain’ is not quite as good, but it is slightly more consistent.

Now, there is one track that stands out like a sore thumb. As far as covers go, Destruction’s version of ‘My Sharona’ is done reasonably well, but it clashes so hard with the rest of the album in terms of atmosphere that it completely takes you out of it. It was probably added to pad the playing time out a little, as the entire album would have been under 36 minutes without it. Fortunately, everything else ranges from good to excellent. The title track and ‘Rippin’ You Off Blind’ have been re-recorded with Schmier and it’s easy to see why, as those tracks – along with ‘Frustrated’ – are the snappiest tracks on here, though ‘Rippin’ You Off Blind’ does contain some off-kilter rhythmic touches.

However, the more intricate material is where ‘Cracked Brain’ really gets interesting. ‘Time Must End’ turns the tempo back just a notch to create a vibe of unpredictable darkness, whereas the structure of ‘No Need To Justify’ feels a bit like that of ‘Reject Emotions’, only with a better developed quieter part in the beginning of the song. ‘Die A Day Before You’re Born’ is a whirlwind of riffs that would not have sounded out of place on any post-reunion Destruction album, only stuck together in a way the band never would these days. Closer ‘When Your Mind Was Free’ sounds uncertain about how it wants to end, but there is a lot of cool broken chord stuff going on in the minutes leading up to its finale.

Do not skip on ‘Cracked Brain’ because Schmier isn’t on it. André Grieder does a reasonably good job filling in for him, although he is capable of better than this and probably did not take a lot of liberties with what he was told to do, possibly due to time constraints. Other than that and the completely unnecessary cover, ‘Cracked Brain’ is an excellent mildly technical thrash album that everyone looking for a continuation of the ‘Release From Agony’ sound should give a shot. It’s unfortunate that Destruction did not continue that sound either with or without their popular frontman, but at least the Germans gave us two fine albums in that style.

Recommended tracks: ‘Cracked Brain’, ‘Time Must End’, ‘Die A Day Before You’re Born’

Originally written for my Kevy Metal weblog

Strange, But Decent - 77%

VictimOfScience, August 27th, 2021
Written based on this version: 1990, CD, Steamhammer

Well, by this point in time, Schmier got fired from the band. It is true that Destruction can never really be "Destruction" without him, he is that essential, at least he used to be back in the day. If you ever wondered what a Destruction album would sound like without him, here is your answer. It is a strange experience indeed, but it has to be said that it is a very good one. This record is probably not as outstanding as one would hope for, but it is a decent effort from Destruction. Considering the brilliance of the previous three records, this album is actually very well done. It is, without doubt, their final good record until the ultra-brutal The Antichrist.

With regard to the style and the musical direction of the release, this is pretty much Release From Agony II. It is the same type of analysis and confrontation of insanity and mental struggles as it was on the previous album. I hope you aren't tired of it yet. I know I'm not, as Destruction is the best band at immersing in this topic, and presenting it in a very enjoyable and impressive way. The guitar riffs are very technical, even more so than they were on Release From Agony. The music suggests a very intense, very insane vibe as the title suggests and a very proper one at that. The songs are very well put together, there are fast ones, slow ones, even progressive ones at times. Cracked Brain is quite well-rounded, in terms of song structures, and topics as well.

When you look at the musicianship, technically, it has to be the second-best Destruction album, the first being Eternal Devastation, of course. The riffs are pretty complicated by Mike and Harry, and the solos leave pretty much all other German thrash guitarists behind in terms of technicality. There are sweeps, arpeggios, exotic scales, whatever the hell you can imagine, it is there. However, while it is true that the riffs and solos are more advanced than the majority of the time before, it seems like that as technical advancement increased, creativity decreased. Quite a lot of times, the riffs don't really go anywhere, and the songs tend to sound alike. They are nothing compared to the ultra-deep darkness and evilness of let's say United By Hatred. So technicality alone isn't enough, there has to be creativity going along with it, which wasn't quite there at the composition of this record.

The new vocalist, André Grieder of Poltergeist is actually a very good replacement for Schmier. Obviously, I would also take Destruction with Schmier in it, who the hell wouldn't, but I can't think of a better replacement than this. André is perfectly able to adapt himself to the musical identity and vibe of Destruction, more so than expected. His voice cracks and high-pitched screams are pretty much just as accurate and spot-on as Schmier would be. All in all, this was a great choice by the band, and it clearly worked. The lyrics, on the other hand, aren't quite as good as they were on Release From Agony. Though it has to be said, "When Your Mind Was Free" is quite awesome, I wish all of the lyrics were as good as they are on that song.

So, Cracked Brain means a lot of different things. It means a very good thrash metal record in general when you compare it to other thrash records at the time. But does it mean an amazing Destruction record? Not really. Destruction's musical identity has changed quite a bit since the magnificent, ritual-like Infernal Overkill, and the dark whirlwind Eternal Devastation. At this time, they no longer provided the same, evil, dark, demonic vibe they used to in the 1980s. With Release From Agony, they went from darkness to insanity, and now, with Cracked Brain, they took another whack at insanity. Okay, it's certainly not bad, but it is absolutely nothing compared to what this band's earlier albums are.

Poor Man's "The Legacy" - 90%

Sweetie, May 28th, 2018

Folks, we've landed on the record that would create a great divide. There's essentially two eras of Destruction. The classic, raw era of the '80s, and the touched up, more aggressive era that would bloom in the later years. Cracked Brain falls between both of those, and brings a new treat to the table the would be short lived. Picture the rawness that hadn't shed its skin yet, but an overall fresher sound, and a new vocalist that would hardly remain in the band long enough for this record to take off (even though it hardly did, if we're being honest).

Actually, the vocals on this record are better than the ones on the previous releases. No disrespect for Schmier, but Andre Grieder had a far smoother delivery. Slightly better production may help this out a bit, but the lyrics are spat out in a very sequential way that stays consistent. Moreover, the high squeals that took away some of the intimidation are no longer present, making it far easier to take this band seriously. Again, no hate to Release From Agony, phenomenal release, as well as the other early discs; but they still have their issues. No hints of death metal lie anywhere, and Cracked Brain's musicality is some of the purest thrash that they've ever made. "Rippin' You Off Blind" showcases steady rhythm with a tight punch, as well as the chant-like chorus structure that is widely used in this style of music. The title track utilizes intense chord progression that leads up to strong vocal outbursts. To compare, structure is similar to that of really early Testament, with the crunchy speed riffs topped with snarling vocals, and backed by fast drumbeats that don't do anything too deep.

The shorter length of this is something of an advantage, since the lack of much variation can be somewhat blunt. While the template used to build all of the songs is a very good one, it could be a bit more creative. Granted, the inclusion of a cover of The Knack's "My Sharona" does shake it up a little, and I greatly enjoy this track. Because of how overplayed the original is, I like this one better, however if you've never listened to the album Get The Knack, I highly recommend it (power pop fun). Staying on topic though, slower moments help to break some of this up a little more as well, such as the thicker descending chugs of "Time Must End", also one of this record's longer yet stronger tracks. So really, the stagnant areas aren't much of a problem since some other factors work them into a solid series of tracks. Overall, it's a bit of a weird album that definitely has a strong purpose, and a very haunting undertone. The silly cover may put some pre-conceived ideas in your head, but the weirdness makes it fitting. This brand of thrash definitely isn't for everyone, but it's easily worth a spin for all thrash goers.

Destruction - Cracked Brain - 80%

Orbitball, April 29th, 2018
Written based on this version: 2018, CD, High Roller Records (Slipcase, Remastered)

In retrospect, almost 30 years have gone by that this record has been in existence. The re-issue doesn't take away from the magic of this release minus Schmier from the lineup. But the staple 3 members that appear on 'Release From Agony' are featured on here (Mike, guitars Harry, guitars and Olly, drums). There was a session bassist by the name of Christian Engler that takes Schmier's bass duties. I've always felt that this would've been a much more solid release if their frontman wasn't on hiatus for this recording. However, it is what it is and Schmier's been back for a while now so that's not changing anytime soon. The older riffs on this album especially have been Destruction's finest. I don't think that anything but a few newer releases are as catchy as the old stuff, 'Cracked Brain' included.

I remember I had this on cassette way back in the early 90's for an occasional listen to though the tape did not survive. Well, Andre (Poltergeist) does a fine job though because he had some pretty big shoes to fill especially Schmier being on Destruction's first three full-length releases along with a live recording ('Live Without Sense', 1989). This being recorded in Germany along with the three main members or at least 3 out of 4 on the previous. They had some great elements on this recording but if only the production were a little more solid, the vibe with have been tastier. That's my personal opinion, though. Destruction have always have their own style of thrash reflecting (as Schmier has said in interviews) that they're sort of punk rock inspired. That's not too far off.

American thrash metal bands from the early on (some of which) have gotten out of the music scene completely or changed their style of music. But Destruction has never changed their style of songwriting which is why I believe they've been true to their roots since born into the metal scene. This was way back in 1982 under the name "Knight of Demon." Of course the change has been made to this day, and a much more suiting to their musical ensemble. But anyway, the cover of "My Sharona" by the Knacks was well done, though they could've left it to the end of the record, but it hits about mid-way through the album. I suppose they wanted listeners not to lose interest kind of like the song on the Mad Butcher EP, the song "Mad Butcher" which is sort of by getting aroused by the opposite sex.

The whole feeling of 'Cracked Brain' has a reverb type of echo as with Andre's vocals. Harry once again was phenomenal on lead guitars. It's a shame that he's left the band for good with "occasional" guest appearances on newer releases. From my understanding, he used to practice the guitar for 15 hours a day! I'm not sure how true that is, it definitely is believable. He simply shreds. Mike has always been great on the rhythm guitar department, however, the lead guitar was never his forte. I guess you could say that they were stronger in the 80's as a 4-piece act. But things didn't happen that way from now here-on. These leads by Harry on here are once again phenomenal and in the riff department both guitarists don't set short of anything but greatness.

German thrash has this element that I talked about and sort of makes American bands in this genre a little bit more or less likable, though I've always have been an old-school Metallica and Testament follower. But Sodom, Panzer, Destruction, et al have a special scene in the thrash genre. There's just more element to this style of thrash. Be sure to key into the songs "Rippin' You Off Blind" and "Die A Day Before You're Born." These are classics here on 'Cracked Brain'. Even though I like the music here, there's no one that can replace Schmier on vocals. It was like the three members kept the music aglow but the vocals, well I don't or never have favored Andre's tone. If only they could record this album (full-length) with Schmier, then a-ha the album would've been done more justice.

Call Sharona, the Ultimate Brain Crack Fixer! - 90%

bayern, July 2nd, 2017

“You naughty Sharona! What the fuck are you doing here!?” I’m pretty sure this is what Andre Grieder, the Schmier replacement here, had wanted to sing at the beginning of this track; the man must have been quite astonished to find out about their one-stunt colleagues’ choice for a cover inclusion... I guess the Destruction team were still healing possible “cracks” in their “brains” caused by Schmier’s departure, so aberrations of the kind were to be expected, more or less… This lusty, horny Sharona must have spread some difficult to cure “venereal” disease around the metal artistry cause other acts (Eldritch, Hammerfall, Pink Cream, etc.) have also succumbed to its ruinous charm through the years. Whatever it takes to get over the loss of a lover, or a relative, or a frontman…

By the end of the 80’s Destruction were ahead of almost every other thrash metal practitioner, from Germany and Europe in general, but they also saw themselves surrounded by more greatness, just like that, emitted by the others (Sodom, Mekong Delta, Vendetta, Paradox, Kreator, Deathrow, etc.); greatness that was coming in spades, threatening to disrupt their leadership. Just the right time to lose your emblematic frontman, some would say, although that epidemic was already started by the Udo/Accept split-up five years earlier, and later took more victims (Anthrax, Sabbat, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Helloween, etc.). Destruction were just one of the many befallen by this misfortune although that occurred at the worst possible time again, when they had to respond to myriads of high quality albums that came out in quick succession as last defenders of the old school idea that was fading fast at the time.

The recruitment of the mentioned Andre Grieder from the fellow Swiss thrashers Poltergeist was the right decision as the guy had what it took to fill in the big vacated shoes although his style was quite removed from Schmier’s very specific mean semi-declamatory, witch-like croon; Grieder was able to actually sing, and this gave more depth to the band’s technically precise fretwork. And with him on board the Destruction batch were ready to give it one, possibly more go’s in the future. But first things first; let’s see how those “cracks” could be filled in for a start…

Music-wise this album is a direct follow-up to the great “Release from Agony” the opening title-track cutting and slicing its way through with expert clinical guitar work, with Grieder’s venomous, but attached vocals adding more to the heightened speedy drama the latter also enriched by a fabulous twisted lead section thrown in mid-way. A totally enchanting beginning which seamlessly flows into “Frustrated”, the legitimate twin of the opener, thrashing with the same amount of clinical technicality and intensity, with a bigger sense of melody also reflected in a few more dramatic riff applications. “S.E.D.” is a more minimalistic cut with creepy technical guitars gradually moving up the aggression scale, the surreal jumpiness of the rhythm-section recalling Mekong Delta including in the nervy fast-paced staccato section. “Time Must End” is a more sprawling, progressive thrasher the guys varying the time-signatures more frequently, with speedy “blizzards” rising out of the blue intercepting the slower, more elaborate passages, and with sudden tempo shifts overwhelming the listener who will be completely won for the band’s cause by the dazzling leads again near the end.

The fanfares begin, and the femme fatale Sharona enters with all her cliched, faded gorgeousness. The The Knacks’ original was already a ridiculous jump-arounder, and this sped-up, slightly thrash-peppered version of it doesn’t do much except upset the fan who will sincerely hope that similar “pitstops” from the intricate thrashy roller-coaster won’t happen later. And they won’t as the following “Rippin’ You off Blind” promises with its officiant stomping riffage that enters the ensuing speedy melee which surrenders to more technical accumulations later, all three sides walking hand in hand for a bit the guys having a lot of fun pulling out these fabulous multi-layered rifforamas with so much energy and panache. “Die a Day Before You’re Born” is a fine swirling headbanger keeping it relatively straight, and “No Need to Justify” doesn’t need “to justify” anything presenting more balladic, doomy motifs which don’t change much throughout save for an isolated fast-paced crescendo. “When Your Mind Was Free” has a relaxed, lazy beginning which is enriched by several leaps and bounds, but remains on the pounding, not very eventful side Grieder spicing up the rigid approach with the casual high-pitched scream.

The epitaph doesn’t reach the high level of the preceding material the band taking it easy towards the end, kind of exhausting their hi-tech arsenal, or maybe not willing to surpass the previous opus with more exuberant performance, thus missing to also fully compensate for the mood breaker that “My Sharona” is. Regardless, the first half is a total technical shredfest which should have filled the fans’ hearts and souls with loads of sharp lashing, also quite clever riff-patterns until the arrival of the somewhat downbeat finale. Said finale may have been intended as a desirable shift from the hyper-active formula applied until that point as similar pacifying arrangements can also be spotted on other works the same year, like Sacrosanct’s “Truth is What is”, Kreator’s “Coma of Souls”, and another brain “deterioration”, Vendetta’s “Brain Damage”; and later have their rightful place on other technical/progressive sagas like Heathen’s “Victims of Deception and Depressive Age’s “First Depression”, and even Coroner’s “Mental Vortex” if you like (remember “the heaviest” cover of all covers at the end, The Beatles’ “She’s So Heavy”).

Grieder was apparently inspired by his stunt with Mike Sifringer and Co. as with his comrades from Poltergeist he quickly assembled the “Behind the Mask” album a few months later which quite successfully tried to repeat the technical feats from the album reviewed here, also providing a very similar slower, less engaging, not very exuberant ending. Influences, influences, and how far/near they can reach… only that they never served as a template for their own creators again who hit the very bottom instead in the mid-90’s with several awful variations of the groovy numetal formula; arguably the most humiliating metamorphosis ever witnessed within the thrash, and possibly even metal overall, circles (“Cold Lake”? No?”). A lesson well learnt, and the old frontman well taken back in the late-90’s for another seemingly endless string of thrash anthems that continue to repair all possible brain cracks, and a fair number of annoying maladies around the world mostly caused by one-night-stands with beautiful Sharonas.

Cracked band in good form - 87%

Felix 1666, November 29th, 2015
Written based on this version: 1990, 12" vinyl, Steamhammer

Destruction without Schmier is like Motörhead without Lemmy. Show me someone who is of that opinion and then I show you a liar. Referring to "Cracked Brain", the line-up change had absolutely no effect. Destruction still held the flag of thrash high and the vocal performance of André Grieder was on a par with that of his better known predecessor; moreover, his voice did not sound completely different. Incidentally, let's face the truth: Schmier is a charismatic and probably likable guy who embodies the German metal scene in a credible manner since more than 30 years, but he is not the greatest vocalist of all times. Anyway, I have to turn the spot light on "Cracked Brain".

Grieder sang comparatively intelligent lyrics. According to the well designed artwork, they mainly dealt with personal feelings like depression and desperation. "S E D" marked the exception. Its name stood for "Socialist's Eternal Death" and the song was about the downfall of the criminal regime in East-Berlin in 1989. "SED" had been the name of the factually one and only party in the German (so-called) Democratic Republic, the shitty "Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands". This was not the first political topic that the band picked up, but as far as I see, it remained the last.

Of greater importance was, as always, the musical content. Destruction played a mature and appropriately aggressive kind of thrash metal. The average velocity was comparable with that of "Release from Agony" and the riffs reflected the good level of the band's musicianship. Awkward breaks or half-baked choruses did not show up and every song flowed smoothly. Sharpness and melody were open to one another and the result was surprisingly strong. No song fell through the net which was spun by the efficiently working guitarists. Their performance shaped the album, but this does not mean that they wallowed in technical gimmicks. Without the slightest touch of arrogance or narcissism, Harry and founding member Mike were concentrated on creating coherent leads.

Unfortunately, the production was relatively flat with the consequence that it lacked of pressure. Without hurting the penetrating power of the tunes in a considerable way, the sound did not fully convince and had to be categorized as suboptimal. This shortcoming is the reason why I cannot give a higher rating, although the album fascinated me strongly at the time of its release. However, "Cracked Brain" is still a recommendable album and its best songs forced every poser on his knees (did I already say that this review is part of my old-fashioned and vengeful anti-poser campaign?). Straight tunes like the slightly nervous title track with its weird solo part or the pessimistic and intensive "Frustrated" left no questions unanswered, while an almost progressive piece like "No Need to Justify" added another facet of the band's musical spectrum. Finally, the staccato riffs of the cover song ("My Sharona") worked very well.

Regardless of the rising crisis of the genre, this album delivered authentic and professional thrash metal. Despite its outsider status, it belongs to the best works of Destruction. Sorry for that, Schmier.

Better leave a last sigh - 73%

autothrall, February 1st, 2011

Cracked Brain is the sole non-Schmier Destruction album that the band still considers an 'official' part of its discography, and it makes sense. The compositions are clearly in the same vein as Release from Agony, with the surgical, technical flourishes of Mike Sifringer's axe slinging, but they're more accessible and catchy. Part of this is the new singer, who was dragged over from the Swiss band Poltergeist to handle the vocals. To his credit, he sounds quite good, taking the spiteful venom of Schmier to a slightly more melodic plateau, and when you consider the hot blood and division he might have stirred among the fan base, he pulls through remarkably.

'Remarkable' is exactly how I would define about half of this album. The first two tracks are among the best in Destruction's career, shorter in stature than some of their classics like "Eternal Ban" and "Curse the Gods", but almost as fascinating. "Cracked Brain" itself creates clinical whirlwind of drug-induced, popping guitar melodies that just melt into the vocals of Grieder, and the chorus is perfectly positioned. But the real highlight comes at around 1:40, when Sifringer and Wilkens break into the insane, medical leads and a bridge riff that makes my eyes water with joy. Directly after this, they break straight into "Frustrated", almost as if it were being 'joined in progress', and I also truly love this song, with the almost angelic, happy breath of its chorus, the constantly collapsing melodies of the riffs and the gang shouts.

There are other notables here on Cracked Brain, beginning with "Time Must End", cycled through an uplifting intro riff to a dense, technical trawl that is perhaps most reminiscent of the material on Release from Agony, only not as cold or emotionally vapid. "Rippin' You Off Blind" is another blood boiler, loaded with riffs, and "Die A Day Before You're Born" is just something you can picture Schmier singing on Eternal Devastation. Same shrieking tendencies. But alas, not all that glitters here is steel, and a few of the later tracks "No Need to Justify" and "When Your Mind Was Free", while well intentioned, don't hold up with as many catchy riffs. "S.E.D." is also not a favorite, though there are 1-2 decent riffs tucked in there, and the cover of "My Sharona" is a total Weird Al moment, though it is fun to think of a band like this performing that song.

Cracked Brain is the last of the classic Destruction era, and also the worst, but a few of the tracks belong in any highlight reel of the band's career. Once the 90s arrived in full bloom, the band would fall off the turnip truck into a miasma of adaptive folly so much that they are now embarrassed by their recorded output circa 1994-1998. This tragedy would endure until the turn of the century, in which All Hell Breaks Loose would save the band's face in anticipation of its devastating follow-up. I often wish that this were just an EP with "Cracked Brain", "Time Must End", "Frustrated" and perhaps a few others, because it would have been perfect, aside from the obvious lyrics, which are, in short, dreadful. Taking into consideration the rest of the songs, the overall judgment is not so great, but the strong points are incredibly strong, regardless of the substituted vocal presence.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Not a classic, but a sincere piece of thrash - 80%

CHRISTI_NS_ANITY8, October 18th, 2008

Cracked Brain is the first Destruction album that doesn’t feature Schmier in the line-up. Release From Agony was very good even if it was almost buried by the heavy presence of far more famous albums by the band during the mid 80s era and now, this Cracked Brain, is the first example of the decline by this band. Let me say, by the way, that is album is not bad at all but is not that great either, especially if we compare this to the previous releases. Then, it’s undeniable and it’s useless to hide it: Destruction without Schmier to me are not Destruction. Sorry, but it’s the way I see it.
So, with this review I analyse a band that to me is not that one that released Infernal Overkill or Mad Butcher for example. To me it’s a wing of it and nothing more, even if Mike at the guitars is always present and he’s always a riffs machine gun but the importance, the charisma of a frontman like Schmier cannot be deleted or ignored. However, let’s jump into this album to understand and listen objectively this new effort that shocked so much the thrash metal department at the time.

To begin, we face immediately the title track that is quite fast and there are a lot of riffs. The tempo is not so fast but the riffage is complex and relentless, sustaining some truly intense parts. The production is not great and it’s essential in the sounds, especially if we are talking about the drums. The vocals are normal, standard speed/thrash metal and not so particular. It’s difficult to replace the ones by Schmier but this singer has a lot of power inside and even if he doesn’t shine on personality, he’s powerful. “Frustrated” is faster and the riffing is always very good and surely the strongest point of the release. The speed/thrash assault is heavier this time and more convincing. The solos are very similar to the ones on the previous release in sounds and style, so very good.

“S.E.D.” is a track that contains mid-paced, dynamic parts with sudden restarts and a screamed refrain. The riffage is precise and always various enough to result strong. The bass, unfortunately, is almost inaudible on this album and the drums have always a sound I don’t like at all. “Time Must End” is quite enjoyable thanks to the various tempo changes in it that, anyway, they don’t deform its structure and its mid-paced progression. There are also furious restarts but they are just small breaks. “My Sharona” is obviously a cover that ends right before the solo part in the original, so pretty forgettable even if it’s not bad and also quite funny. Here it’s really on speed. “Rippin' You Off Blind” is a crescendo of intensity and speed since the beginning. The up tempo parts are well-done and quite vibrant; the riffage once again is great for precision and for the switching of techniques and structures.

“Die a Day Before You're Born” features one of the best riffs here because it’s galloping and made to mosh. This track is far more impulsive than the other ones before and you can notice it immediately. “No Need to Justify” features quite strange riffs and dark melodies by the beginning, and then the tempo sets on mid-paced parts while the riffs conserve something progressive. “When Your Mind Was Free” has a quite bland, boring progression. It’s not the best thing to end an album that up till now has been quite good. The riffs are far less angry and now they are quite weak. Overall, this is the worst song of the album. At the end, it was an enjoyable album. As I said, I analyzed it as a normal one and not as a Destruction one but it’s not bad. The recent past was better for the band but Cracked Brain worth a listen.

Under-appreciated and overlooked - 90%

orionmetalhead, October 23rd, 2006

Destruction's Cracked Brain is a thrash release that has seemed to slip through the cracks in terms of relative notability. Its a great release too with a lot going for it and little not going for it. Being released in 1990 though, there is a good possibility that this was overshadowed by other major thrash releases such as Slayer's Seasons In The Abyss, Metallica's upcoming Self-titled sell-out, Megadeth's godly Rust In Peace and others from bands like Testament, Exodus and Anthrax. Cracked Brain is good enough to stand beside most of these releases and even bears an uncanny resemblance in some ways to Testament's Souls of Black.

The production on this album is pretty good. I would have liked a slightly heavier tone however there is a nice raw edge to what is presented here. Mike Sifringer and Harry Wilkens guitar playing is on par with Oliver Kaiser's drumming. Apparently bass was played by everyone except Oliver and Andre Grieder - the singer. The leads sound really good, I cant help but think of Pestilence's spheres when regarding the guitar tone in certain parts of this as a way to describe it. The drum production is also really good but it could be raised slightly. Bass is present but hard to hear at times. Andre's vocals are pretty good and what you would expect from a thrash band.

The musicianship is top notch. Some of the solos are similar sounding which irked me a little bit. There is also one riff in Time Must End in the very beginning which is an awesome riff until it turns into a new riff unexpectedley for some unknown reason. Like walking a dog then looking down the leash and seeing your actually walking a small old lady with five ears. Unexpected. The riff starts at about 23 seconds into the song. Though they come back to this riff later on it still feels out of place and could have been shortened leaving out the stop-start part that ends the riff and goes into the next session. Overall however this is one of the best songs on the album with some killer riffs and a really sweet classically influenced solo.

Compositionally the songs are pretty straightfoward and work well in a package. My Sharona kinda cuts the album in half and although I always enjoy a gimmicky track this album could have done without this. Possibly added as a bonus track or something instead of sticking it in the middle of the album.

Overall though I have no qualms about this album. Its a solid release and should get more attention for having some really cool songs on it including Time Must End, No Need To Justify and When Your Mind Was Free.

Great album but something is missing... - 82%

Disciple_Of_Metal, August 9th, 2006

Destruction are back, with an abundance of riffs, more of those excellent sweeping solos, and yet Schmier is gone and without him it feels like something important is missing.

Do not kid yourself, this is a great album in its own right. It's different than Release From Agony (which is a good thing), and it still has that awkward but intense feeling that Mike's creative riffing and soloing produces. However, and it isn't as much to say it's comparable to The X Factor or Jugulator (for those albums were bad releases by those bands and this album is far from that); but like those albums it possesses the same problem: that in its greatest strength lies its greatest weakness - that no matter which way you look at it, it still isn't the same. No one in their right mind can deny the awesomeness of "Sign of the Cross," but you can't disagree that it's definitely better with Bruce.

The vocals of Andre Grieder are good, but Schmier had a unique voice, a voice you can listen to and say "now THAT'S Destruction." It was a snarl, a growl, and a shriek all rolled into one. It was ugly and at the same time so heavy that you can actually say "Schmier's vocals are fucking heavy." Perhaps a better way to think of it is like taking Overkill and trying to replace Blitz - why take away a defining character sound? No matter what level of awesomeness you achieve, it will always lack the thing that made it great in the first place. Schmier's vocals added a higher level of intensity that complemented Mike's ugly but incredibly heavy and very creative guitar playing - this was perfected on 1988's Release From Agony, where sweep picking was evil and eerie, not for "show and tell."

So while taking a step forward musically the band lost a sound that really cannot be replicated, and thus, the overall feeling of the album seems to be rather plain. No offense Andre, you did your best in a role that's tough to fill, but you did not manage to bring that gritty and ugly awesomeness that told you to "fuck off and thrash," as Schmier did.

But let's face it, Release From Agony was an album that in 1988 exceeded everyone's expectations (and anyone who didn't like it never really, really listened to it), so I'll quit being cruel and move onto what's great about the album that followed it. A couple of years later we're in the 90's, that era where everyone seemed to think metal rolled over and died. This album is perhaps a big middle finger to everyone who thinks that only the best stuff was written in the decade before it. It's a barrage of awesome riffing, shrieky vocals, and drumming that puts your neck to work. It's far more simpler and much more "rockin" than Release From Agony was - the album doesn't replicate the bizarre but painfully excellent passages like in Sign of Fear, the chorus riffage in Release From Agony, and the trippy verses of Dissatisfied Existence; there's a bit of that awkward feeling to the album but it's far more straight-up, balls out, "I mean to kill you" thrash. And oh yes, the solos. Dissastisfied Existence part II can be found in nearly every song. Mike is the king of sweep picking - it's evil and eerie, a kind that, like Schmier's voice, cannot be replicated.

Perhaps the best songs are "Frustrated," "S E D," and "Rippin' You Off Blind." "Die A Day Before You're Born" is a bit repetitive with its chorus but still is pretty good. Overall the album kicks you in the face. Hard. But what hits you harder is the realization that without Schmier it doesn't kick you in the face, impale you, twist your mind and your neck and pummel you repeatedly in the eye with a jackhammer.