Demolition are an Australian based thrash band who have been tearing it up since 2006. They recorded an EP entitled, ‘Strike Force’ in late 2007. After some line-up changes, the band started to tour and got back into the studio in 2010. In April 2011, they released their latest album, ‘Kill Zone’. According to their bio, they are being likened to such bands as Annihilator and Testament. Though I haven’t heard them prior to today, I am now preparing myself for some serious thrash metal.
Maniac – There’s no mucking about with the introduction to this album. The drums start out by pounding our heads into submission whilst the guitars carve our ears into an attentive shape. The clean yet rasping vocals are assertive as they beckon all to this thrashening. So much of this song reminds me of Slayer with its pace and vocal. There is a nice lead in here and I am looking forward to much more.
Strike You Down – A firing gun takes us into this next track and sets the scene for some more explosive rhythms. This music is really bringing me back to the good old thrash days. It’s great when you come across a band that has utilised their inspiration by perfecting the style for themselves. Demolition have really got it down. This is the shortest track on the album at 03:10. The pace is brutal as are the sounds. Even if you were deaf at a gig you would find yourself in this moshpit attracted by the furious vibrations.
Sweet Revenge – The guitars crunch out a path for us to wander in through this track. The structure of this song is quite varied yet consistently heavy and confronting. The drums simply hammer away at your ear drums. The guitars are like razor blade teeth chomping through your ears. The vocalist may as well be coming at you with a baseball bat. Yes, the sound is that hectic.
Means Of Control – The guitar rhythms increase in pace and send us shooting back to the eighties into a beautiful realm of thrash guitars and flowing hair. The intensity of this track is delightful. Being confined to my room as I hear this however, I’m sure to break much furniture around me as I let loose. Perhaps it would be best not to listen to such tunes in a confined space lest you too unintentionally destroy your abode.
Deadly Trial – You’ll head straight into the moshpit for this track; bowing to the majestic guitars. The music is fierce and subjugating. If it were a flame, you’d be incinerated. If you are the type of person stuck working in the midst of the city, surrounded by pushy drones, then with this song blasting into your brain, you are sure to get through your day with the right ‘go get them’ attitude you need to survive another day. Even if it is blasting a “fuck them all” message into your head!
The Fool Parade – Straight into this track with some grumbling bass and drum patter, it soon sounds like guns firing all around you. The guitars are simply furious amidst this track. The vocals continue to be aggressive and assertive. The drums let loose with the rolls and continue to kick our heads in. A fine, fool parade indeed!
Rip It Up – Another motivating and speedy paced track forces our heads to continuously nod in agreement. This is truly a brilliant mosh pit anthem. There is a musical shift at 01:36 where the drums actually sound like smacking someone repeatedly in the head. It’s seriously been a great mosh album thus far and I doubt this will cease any time soon.
The Torture –A seemingly placid introduction to the song soon becomes a musical storm raging upon the listener. The drums hammer out some mean double kicks. The guitars act like a circular saw in pace, carving through the rhythms. There is a lengthy lead guitar in here from 02:12 to 03:18 and the complimenting music makes it simply brutal in delivery and overall sound. It is yet another brilliant track!
Digital God – A computerised voice introduces this next track. The vocals relay much to be construed by the lazy home dwellers. It is confronting, awakening, intense and hostile. The music is thundering as it delivers its message of “get the fuck up and start living your life in reality away from this digital shit!” It is interesting hearing older musical styles being infused with today’s issues. Yet it all sounds so perfectly crisp and fresh like it was all brand new. This in itself is an excellent thing to achieve.
Kill Zone – Here we have the final, title track and also the longest track on the album at 06:22. It starts out with a Metallica reminiscent, rhythmic invitation. As you open yourself up to the music, it soon amends its direction to a faster paced yet sturdy path. Overall, it is a very masculine track as this entire album has been. The sound engineering for this album has been excellent, as all parts are evenly heard. This song is well structured with only a few changes here and there whilst everything flows perfectly well. The end of the track fades out as the album comes to a close.
In essence, this is a bloody brilliant album! If you love your thrash metal then you will truly adore this. If you simply love fast paced, beefy metal then you must check this out. I know my memory is pretty screwed up these days, but I can’t recall hearing something this good in a long time. The CD I received is simply a promotional one so sadly I can’t comment on the in-store version’s packaging. The actual CD however, does seem to be the in-store one as it has a bullet belt strip on it, surrounded by flames along with the band logo (as opposed to receiving a plain print promo CD). I have really enjoyed listening to this and I would really like to see them live. The built up stress can easily be obliterated within their pit. I implore you all to check out the links below and reach for your wallet and buy them up folks, as you won’t be disappointed!
LINKS
Demolition Website
Demolition Facebook
Demolition Myspace
Rock Star Records
Review by Déa di Morté © 15 September 2011
All pictures courtesy of Demolition and Rock Star Records.