Released: March 7, 2024
The Birth of Malice doesn’t arrive as a revival exercise or a nostalgia play. It feels more like Destruction reaffirming a posture they never fully abandoned—direct, hostile, and uninterested in refinement for its own sake. The album moves with purpose, favoring sharp execution and sustained aggression over spectacle or reinvention. Nothing here tries to sound modern. It sounds present.
From the outset, the record establishes how it intends to function. Riffs come fast and decisive, drums drive with relentless clarity, and the songs advance through repetition rather than buildup. There’s no dramatic framing, no extended intro meant to set atmosphere. The album assumes engagement immediately and keeps pressing forward.
Tracks like “Destruction” and “Cyber Warfare” reinforce that intent. The structures are compact, the pacing exact, and the aggression tightly managed. Even at high speed, the record feels controlled. The band isn’t chasing chaos. They’re applying pressure consistently, trusting familiarity and form to do the work.
As the album progresses, its discipline becomes clearer. Songs don’t sprawl or pivot dramatically. They hold a narrow range and work it thoroughly. Riffs repeat long enough to register physically, then give way to the next strike. The album’s sense of motion comes from persistence, not escalation.
Mid-album material continues in that same lane, reinforcing how little Destruction are interested in contrast. There are no soft resets or wide detours. When the tempo shifts, it does so briefly and with intent, serving momentum rather than interrupting it. The record feels designed to maintain tension, not release it.
Later tracks maintain the same posture, giving the album a sense of continuity that borders on stubbornness. That refusal to diversify becomes part of its identity. The Birth of Malice doesn’t argue for its relevance. It demonstrates it by staying sharp and unyielding.
Production across the album supports that clarity. Guitars are crisp without being thin, drums are forward and forceful, and vocals sit firmly in the mix without overpowering the instrumentation. The sound favors separation and immediacy, allowing speed and precision to register without collapsing into noise.
What gives The Birth of Malice its weight is how confidently it commits to this approach. The album doesn’t stretch its vocabulary or gesture toward evolution. It reinforces a method that still works when applied with conviction. Each listen confirms the same discipline, the same refusal to soften.
When it ends, it doesn’t summarize or resolve. It stops. That abruptness feels intentional. The Birth of Malice matters because it captures Destruction operating without compromise—fast, focused, and fully committed to doing exactly what the record sets out to do.
Written by Rob Joncas for DeadNoteMedia.
Artist information and music courtesy of the band.
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