Destruction - Mad Butcher (1987)^{Release ID: 3002}

It was pretty obvious from the way Mad Butcher started out that I was in for a bit more of the same Destruction music I was getting since their debut EP.  I mean, is Destruction really known for mixing things up a bit?  Thankfully, and I mean thankfully, the titular opener took a few different directions that are all expected to be part of a Destruction song every now and then, but not necessarily all together.  Quite unpredictable.  That fake fadout and the Pink Panther ending were quite the surprise.  Then the album goes into a little of a Gothic ballad vibe with The Damned... appropriately named.  I'd have like a little more of that on the previous releases.  Of course, it did go into an uptempo as I expected, but it kept up the vibes pretty well.  It does this for about a minute and a half before completely changing the tempo while still carrying a sense of drama rather than demon-fueled anger, a little like a power metal track.  Can;'t say I'm a fan of how singer Mike Sifringer kept trying to raise his pitch at the end of most of the sentences like he was King Diamond or something, which he's not.  Now Reject Emotions is a seven-minute song, so I was a bit nervous about this at first, considering how many of these seven-minute Destruction songs were totally drawn out.  But with a decent-sized mellow opening and some proggy thrash moments following, I once again got the idea that this song would be an example of total art.  Thing is, when I start to get that vibe, it's usually betrayed.  BUT, the first two albums showed some decency in that department, so I held onto the hope with only minimal expectations.  And thankfully, I got quite a few interesting turns.  It even became a prog track for a bit.  The album ends with a decent three-minute piece going into speedy guitars and an epic metal vibe.  This is the kind of way to end it.  Honestly, this is exactly what I've been waiting for from Destruction.  I'm not sure the next album will reflect this growth, but I'm largely happy with the way it went.

81

The German thrash metal legends continued to hone their craft. This time recruiting a new drummer & an additional lead guitarist & going for a cleaner & much more complex sound. I do enjoy the substantially more accomplished level of musicianship on display here. Particularly the guitar solos which are a real highlight & one gets the feeling that the entire purpose of the E.P. was to showcase the improved technical skills of the new lineup. The production does sound a touch empty at times but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I prefer a more polished sound than we'd heard from the band previously.

The re-recorded version of the title track is an improvement on the sloppier, dirtier original while the two new originals are both extremely entertaining. Particularly the very sophisticated "Reject Emotions" which reminds me a lot of "Rust In Peace" era Megadeth in its melodic & structural extravagance. Unfortunately the cover version of Plasmatics' "The Damned" is an obvious misfire & there are a few of those effeminate squeals that have tainted previous Destruction releases.  In fact, Schmier doesn't sound anywhere near as aggressive & unhinged as he did on a record like "Sentence Of Death". There's definitely enough musical quality here to make this a really enjoyable release for fans of Teutonic thrash though & it may be a controversial opinion but I rate it more highly than any of Destruction's previous material.