CoC : Destroyed by Anger - Destroyed by Anger : Review

Destroyed by Anger - _Destroyed by Anger_
(Vulture, 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10)

Well, this was a surprise, and a nice one at that. My prejudgements on the basis of the rather sorry cover (depicting a world surrounded by nasty headlines, I think) were completely wrong. Destroyed by Anger are not average, run of the mill or any of the other associations which we-hate-the-system imagery and lyrical content so often bring with them or which the violent power groove base which their music has also tends to move towards. Destroyed by Anger cross-breed Stuck Mojo with Obituary, graft on some classic Death solos and rip the vocal chords from Karl Buechner, Phil Anselmo and Rey Oropeza to forge a new creation fashioned in solid metal and blistering hardcore. My description may have made the band sound like a mere amalgamation of influences, but they are not -- these are merely good comparisons. Destroyed by Anger base their sound around heavy, simple riffs and classic hardcore drumbeats but, although they do this perfectly well, it is when they slow down, use acoustic passages and proclaimative vocals (along with some nice solos at both tempos) that they really prove their worth. Although the production wears a little thin at points, _Destroyed by Anger_ is a solid debut, and worth checking out for the harccore and metal fan alike.

(article published 8/7/1998)