Destroyer 666 - Aware of War

By: MetalGeorge Pacheco

“It makes me feel a bit old,” remarks Destroyer 666 bassist Matt—also of Aussie killers Razor of Occam—of the long standing war metal act’s influence upon the genre’s new, hungry stormlegion. “This is the way metal has to be played. I have no time for limp wrested whiz kids; I firmly believe that every muscle and tendon should be taut and straining when playing. Just as drums sound better when hit hard, so guitar strings sound better when struck hard.”

The band’s latest LP, Defiance, can certainly be labeled has “hard,” with other suitable adjectives being “killer,” “amazing,” and “fucking unbelievable,” to mention a few. “It’s fair to say that we’re satisfied and certainly relieved to have the album done. It was difficult, but hopefully worthwhile. It’s too early to judge how it will stand the test of time, but I feel it will sit comfortably alongside the earlier albums.”

Surely, D666’s legacy has been set firm, deep within in the trenches. Though Defiance marks a line clearly in the sand which screams “don’t fuck with this,” the Destroyer discography has met with little resistance from fans since the release of the blower ’95 EP, Violence Is The Prince Of This World. Still…seven years of relative silence from the quartet led some—like myself—to question whether there was even going to be a proper follow-up to 2002’s Cold Steel…For An Iron Age.

“Well, I joined after the Terror Abraxas EP in 2003,” comments Matt on the band’s activity over the past couple years, “and to be honest, for the first year or so nothing happened at all. The boys had been pushing the band hard for some time, and needed a bit of a break. Gradually, we got back into the swing of things and did a couple of tours before we realized that we needed to record another album. Although we were still getting requests for shows, the pressure was building and I guess it was sometime during 2007 that we resolved not to play again until we had recorded.”

What an album, though. Defiance just might be Destroyer 666’s ultimate manifesto of carnage; every riff is razor-sharp, each melody fist-pounding and perfect. Though the idea of an act recording their penultimate opus this late in their career is distant at best, these Aussies just seem to have done it this time out. “Certainly the writing process was different this time around, says Matt. “The boys were all living in the same house when Cold Steel…was written. In contrast, we are now spread over three countries. At first, we tried to carry on as normal, bringing new riffs along to rehearsal and jamming them into songs. When three plane flights are required for each rehearsal, though, they tend to be pretty sparse, and we eventually realized it wasn’t working. In the end, we did most of the work on Cubase, sending ideas around by email. When we did get together, we wasted little time actually rehearsing and got straight down to the business of getting drunk and arguing with each other. To a certain extent, we were all pulling in different directions and we all had to make compromises but I think that ensures a better balance in the end.”

How does Matt feel as a relatively new soldier in the platoon, however? “The lineup has been stable since I joined. I had already known the rest of the lads for a long time, so it was not difficult slotting in. We have had a lot of fun over the years, but lately there is a bit of a feeling that we need to get a bit more serious. I think there is a sense that we can have a real impact, and also that more is being expected of us. I guess that means we have to stop drinking too much all the time…just sometimes.”

Indeed. Alcohol abuse—though extremely fun sometimes, needs to be reserved for special occasions…such as the band’s most recent trek to the States, as this year’s Maryland Deathfest. “We had a great time at MDF,” remarks the bassist. “The lineup was fantastic, and the crowd was awesome. It was easily the best show we’ve done in North America. Generally, we have enjoyed a good reception when we have played there, although touring can be a bit hit and miss. In Europe, it’s generally pretty smooth- most places we play have seasoned promoters running the shows who know what they are doing, but in America we have often played DIY shows, which can be a bit chaotic but always fun. The people in general in the states are uber friendly- far beyond anything I have seen anywhere else. So we’re keen to get back as soon as possible, and in fact we are currently negotiating to do a couple of shows in California later this year.”

www.myspace.com/destroyer666band