Blessed Death - Destined for Extinction (1987)^{Release ID: 14201}

Blessed Death's second album is rough and ready thrash with speed metal influences. It certainly isn't the most technically adept nor original thrash albums you'll ever hear, but what it does have in spades is an infectious enthusiasm that is second to none. A significant number of the tracks clock in at less than three minutes and are belted out like Slayer on angel dust.
The factor that may be a problem for a number of people is vocalist Larry Portelli who's performance is insane, from the deepest of growls to the highest of shrieks sometimes without warning. However, I found his vocal performance strangely endearing, as if you can tell that he was really putting his heart and soul into it. You can just picture him completely losing his shit on stage and giving it his absolute all. It's a shame the band aren't better known, especially considering how well-regarded several less passionate outfits are.

I didn't have much time for 1985's "Kill Or Be Killed" debut from New Jersey outfit Blessed Death which is often linked to thrash but was actually more of a speed metal record. However their 1987 follow-up record "Destined For Extinction" is another kettle of fish altogether with the band having fully transitioned into an aggressive thrash outfit in line with the model that some of America's more brutal thrash exponents were pushing at the time. The production isn't wonderful but the dirty sound seems to suit the band's nastier approach & you can always make out what's going on so it's not an issue at all. Vocalist Larry Portelli may be a sticking point for some with his seemingly random use of high-pitched screams but (with the exception of the very ordinary "Pray For Death") I can comfortably deal with him most of the time.

At the end of the day this album takes me back to my roots. It's nothing you haven't heard before & I don't think they ever quite nail the song-writing quality to compete with the top tier bands but all fans of 83-86 period Slayer & "Darkness Descends"-era Dark Angel should find a lot to enjoy here. Blessed Death tip toe around the Slayer plagiarism line pretty closely at times with the solo sections in particular being a carbon copy of Slayer's most frantic & extreme works but (as I said with my recent Exumer review) that can't be a bad thing as classic Slayer is simply the best music ever recorded in my opinion.