THE DESTRO

Sometimes a punch in the mouth feels just dandy, and Texas' heavier bands always seem to oblige, whether it is PANTERA, PISSING RAZORS, or THORNSPAWN. Trevor Phipps' (UNEARTH) and his Ironclad label (a Metal Blade imprint) seemed to think so too, signing THE DESTRO and releasing "As The Coil Unwinds", a steel-toed kick to the throat. It is clear that the boys care only that your ass is thoroughly kicked after every spin of the disc.

The PANTERA influence is obvious, whether it is Eric Daughtry's vicious barks and screams or the down-tuned riff punches of Nick Emde. You will hear no Dimebag shredding, just a pummeling, tight-as-a-trampoline rhythm section and a load of tough-ass riffs. Setting aside the brief "Intro" and album closing, concrete cracking instrumental "Forever Embedded", what you get is nine tracks of no-nonsense metal that could be termed PANTERA with slivers of LAMB OF GOD delivered with a hardcore attitude and a thicker bottom end. Speaking of the Cowboys from Hell, you'll really hear the influence on tracks like "Beast Burden". While the aforementioned song, as well as "Rivers Bottom" and "Sever the Ties" are album highlights, all of the tunes hit it and quit it with no room for bullshitting around. Wait until the third or fourth listen, as the basic brutality of the tracks and the smattering of memorable vocal lines (forget about melody) do not really take hold during the first couple of spins.

"As the Coil Unwinds" is nothing more than a stalwart metal album that gets the adrenaline pumping every time, sure to make even the most passive among you clobber the nearest innocent bystander over the head with a metal chair. Enjoy the fight while it lasts; it is as simple as that. A little bloodshed isn't such a bad thing after all.