Artist: Destruktor
Country: Australia
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Formats: LP
Year: 2025
Like probably everyone else who has been around for a while, my introduction to Destruktor was through their “Brutal Desecration” 7″ EP, released by the sadly defunct Decius Records. I must admit that I didn’t pick up the EP right away in 2002, but a little later when Destruktor started releasing their first records on Hells Headbangers Records. However, both ‘Brutal Desecration’ and “Nuclear Storm” (2004) made an impression on me and it fitted perfectly with the image I had of the Australian scene full of wild men and absurd madness.
‘Brutal Desecration’ was originally released in 2002 and saw a reissue on cassette tape through Iron Fist Kommando from Chile a few years later, it was never officially repressed. Still, it became not only a fan favourite, in the interview I did for the band’s last album with guitarist/vocalist Glenn Destruktor he cited this specific recording has sounding the best and reflects best what Destruktor was at the time. So, it is kind of surprising to see that it took almost a quarter century to have this piece of Australian Extreme Metal history reissued. But, judging from the Hells Headbangers Records promo text, this was supposed to be released some two years earlier, at least before ‘Indomitable’ (2024). Well, good music is timeless, they say…
Glenn’s claim that Destruktor never sounded better than on ‘Brutal Desecration’ could very well be true. Without taking anything away from all the recordings the band did afterwards, this EP sounds both heavy, groovy but especially it sounds damn mean and dirty. Now that I am giving this EP a few more spins, not only to fresh up my memory but to actually compare it to its follow-up releases, it sure as hell shows that it is unparalleled within the band’s discography. Even in the entire Australian Extreme Metal scene this is a sure highlight.
Just as Hells Headbangers mentions in their promo text, this indeed is Blasphemy, the best of Teutonic Thrash and early South American savagery. Yet, it never actually goes all berserk, the band’s capability to keep things from getting bogged down in utter chaos is quite impressive. Besides that display of self-control, the stunning dynamics in song writing is particularly noteworthy, a good example is the smooth transition from controlled chaos to that rolling Deicide part in ‘The Holy Trinity Denied’. Another honourable mention definitely goes to Chris Vulcano, with his resume consisting of Abominator, Cemetery Urn and ex-Denouncement Pyre, ex-Deströyer 666, ex-Ignivomous he definitely is one of the unsung heroes of Australian madness. His drums on this recording are absolutely relentlessly bludgeoning, yet super versatile.
The original 7” EP had four tracks, the format’s limitations in playing time prevented the band and label to add the fifth track the recorded during this same session. The previously mentioned cassette tape edition by Iron Fist Kommando had this one song included, but it never appeared on vinyl before this reissue. So, even if you have the original 7” EP, you could consider getting this ultimate and most complete version of this amazing EP for that song alone. Mandatory stuff!
