Destructive Force

Featuring guys and a gal from acts such as God Dethroned, Asphyx and Legion of the Damned it shouldn't come as a surprise to see upstarts Kill Division pedaling an aggressive brand of extreme metal – hell I'm sure the band name gives away as much. Their style blurs the line between death and thrash metal, with a distinct Polish vibe in places which reminds me of Vader - always a good thing.

Destructive Force is relatively intense in its utilization, with an incessant, bludgeoning approach that comes off as, well, destructive. Susan Gerl's vocals are good for the style with a raspy attack, and guitarist/bassist Richard Ebisch lends his deeper, guttural growls to the album, helping give a good shift in momentum in the vocal parts. This is backed up via tempo changes that vary with tag-team vocal approach and helps set Kill Division apart somewhat. The music itself is decidedly riff-happy, with some fast tremolo assaults and stomping thrash breaks. Roel Sanders' drum performance backs up the lot with some energetic blasting and d-beat, and it is fun stuff, if unspectacular.

I can guarantee that those with as much as a cursory knowledge of the genre will have no doubt heard the likes of what Kill Division have to offer before, and whilst the material is undoubtedly fun it isn't necessarily a drop what you're doing and listen to this now affair. There's also a lack in variation throughout, and despite some tempo shifts, I feel it turns the album's thirty-six minutes into somewhat of a blur. This makes it hard to pick out any sort of standout track, even though the album is largely enjoyable for the most part.

Despite that, this is certainly a good start for a new band. Destructive Force bears its teeth like a rabid wolverine, content to savage anything that may disturb its presence. If you're big on abrasive death/thrash metal then Kill Division would be a worthy investment of your time and money, just don't go in expecting anything spectacular or different. By the book, and a little faceless yet never dull; there's plenty of fun to be had here.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com