Destruction are back with new opus on Napalm Records and these legendary thrashers from Germany are part of Big Three of Teutonic Thrash Metal, along with Kreator and Sodom. I remember that I watched them live for the first time back in 1999 in Austria, place called Oberwart on an open air festival on Saturday afternoon, that being one of their first re union shows. I remember Abbath from Immortal who played later that evening holding old school rudimentary cell phone up almost the whole gig, then I read somewhere that Fenriz was on the line listening to the gig hehe. Anyway, there are 12 songs on this one plus a cover of GBH revealing once again Destruction´s punk hardcore influences back in the eighties when they were spawned. This is also first record without long time guitarist Mike, introducing new guitarist Furia. Founder´s bassist vocalist Schmier´s voice sounds better than ever like he hasn´t aged for a day although he is 55 years old hehe. Besides speed and thrash metal aggression, what I always loved and will love about Teutonic thrash is melody and that dramatic punk hardcore energy in the songs and this record doesn´t lack that. Songs like Diabolical, Hope Dies Last, The Lonely Wolf are superb and I can´t wait to catch these guys somewhere live again. Great record by the legends.

8,5/10