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Destruct deliver an absolute crusher of a debut LP following a couple recent, well-regarded demos. The sound is one that you know and are familiar with; Stoke-on-Trent, Scandanavia, and Japan, but it has been executed to its absolute maximum and captured with a clear and powerful recording. Huge, catchy riffs. Exacting rhythm. Howls of defeat, agony and pain.Taking a time-honored formula, they have lent their hand to making an album that has again breathed new life into the genre. “Echoes of Life” is a testament to the power of paying respects to a classic sound while simultaneously pushing it forward to today. It’s the sound of an enormous door closing in the depths of hell. Ten-million tons of TNT dropped on your head.
Our take: I could keep this description short and just say: take three parts Bastard, one part Disclose, and you have Echoes of Life, the debut vinyl from Richmond’s Destruct. As any good cook knows, though, you need more than just a good recipe: you need great ingredients and precise execution, and Destruct excel in these areas too. Bastard’s Wind of Pain is obviously a huge influence on this record (you’ll hear the similarity in the vocal style), and while lots of bands have sought to capture some of that magic, I can’t think of another that has come as close as Destruct has here. The clear, powerful, and heavy production perfectly compliments the elegant brutality of the riffs and songwriting. Nothing here feels stylized, affected, or otherwise contrived; it’s hardcore punk sharpened to lethal precision. If you’re a fan of classic Japanese and Swedish hardcore you’ll love this, but more than an eloquent bit of paraphrase, Echoes of Life proves how powerful hardcore can be in the here and now.