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Destruction > Cracked Brain > Reviews > Sweetie
Destruction - Cracked Brain

Poor Man's "The Legacy" - 90%

Sweetie, May 28th, 2018

Folks, we've landed on the record that would create a great divide. There's essentially two eras of Destruction. The classic, raw era of the '80s, and the touched up, more aggressive era that would bloom in the later years. Cracked Brain falls between both of those, and brings a new treat to the table the would be short lived. Picture the rawness that hadn't shed its skin yet, but an overall fresher sound, and a new vocalist that would hardly remain in the band long enough for this record to take off (even though it hardly did, if we're being honest).

Actually, the vocals on this record are better than the ones on the previous releases. No disrespect for Schmier, but Andre Grieder had a far smoother delivery. Slightly better production may help this out a bit, but the lyrics are spat out in a very sequential way that stays consistent. Moreover, the high squeals that took away some of the intimidation are no longer present, making it far easier to take this band seriously. Again, no hate to Release From Agony, phenomenal release, as well as the other early discs; but they still have their issues. No hints of death metal lie anywhere, and Cracked Brain's musicality is some of the purest thrash that they've ever made. "Rippin' You Off Blind" showcases steady rhythm with a tight punch, as well as the chant-like chorus structure that is widely used in this style of music. The title track utilizes intense chord progression that leads up to strong vocal outbursts. To compare, structure is similar to that of really early Testament, with the crunchy speed riffs topped with snarling vocals, and backed by fast drumbeats that don't do anything too deep.

The shorter length of this is something of an advantage, since the lack of much variation can be somewhat blunt. While the template used to build all of the songs is a very good one, it could be a bit more creative. Granted, the inclusion of a cover of The Knack's "My Sharona" does shake it up a little, and I greatly enjoy this track. Because of how overplayed the original is, I like this one better, however if you've never listened to the album Get The Knack, I highly recommend it (power pop fun). Staying on topic though, slower moments help to break some of this up a little more as well, such as the thicker descending chugs of "Time Must End", also one of this record's longer yet stronger tracks. So really, the stagnant areas aren't much of a problem since some other factors work them into a solid series of tracks. Overall, it's a bit of a weird album that definitely has a strong purpose, and a very haunting undertone. The silly cover may put some pre-conceived ideas in your head, but the weirdness makes it fitting. This brand of thrash definitely isn't for everyone, but it's easily worth a spin for all thrash goers.