Destruction have announced their 16th studio album, Birth of Malice, arriving March 7th via Nuclear Blast Records. The video for the second single, the eponymous track “Destruction,” can be streamed now.
Releasing a self-titled song this deep into their career is a bold move, but the German thrash vets pull it off, delivering a proper anthem that captures the essence of the band, its fans, and its legacy: “We are Destruction!” This is full-bore thrash with a punkish snarl and a raw, live-sound production — complemented by some excellent concert footage of the band and its rabid fanbase in the accompanying video.
“The crushing song ‘Destruction’ is the perfect opener for this album: It builds a bridge between our old-school sound and riffing, including song title phrases from classic Destruction tracks and more shredding and melodic twin lead guitars that will pinch your brain with its razorsharp leads!” enthused the band via a press release. “The message ‘we are Destruction’ unites us with our fans worldwide and manifests the bond we have together!”
Regarding the video, frontman Schmier explained that the clip was recorded in São Paulo, Brazil — “one of the top-notch capitals of metal around the globe and a city that means a lot to us as a band.”
“We played here for the first time in 1989 and have returned countless times for amazing concerts, festivals, visits… I feel at home here,” he said. “Many friends live in this crazy town. I got my first tattoo, the Release from Agony album cover, in São Paulo. We met Sepultura here the first time and the fans are simply mind-blowing!”
He added, “We wanted to catch the energy of a Destruction show and appreciate the faithful fans that breathe thrash metal to the core. Without them we are nothing, the lyrics of this song honor and acknowledge our supporters, they are our backbone, they are Destruction!”
The “eponymous battle hymn” is the second single from Birth of Malice following “No Kings – No Masters,” which was originally released in June and appears on the LP’s tracklist. The record was recorded at Switzerland’s Little Creek Studio by V.O. Pulver, and guitarist Martin Furia mixed and mastered it at The Black Mancave in Hannover, Germany.
You can pre-order Birth of Malice on vinyl and CD via Nuclear Blast. Stream the video for “Destruction” and see the album art and tracklist below.
Birth of Malice Artwork:
Birth of Malice Tracklist:
01. Birth of Malice
02. Destruction
03. Cyber Warfare
04. No Kings – No Masters
05. Scumbag Human Race
06. God Of Gore
07. A.N.G.S.T.
08. Dealer of Death
09. Evil Never Sleeps
10. Chains of Sorrow
11. Greed
12. Fast as a Shark