First Sacrifice, and now this before the first quarter of 2025 ends? Yes please.

Destruction are back with their fifteenth full-length in Birth of Malice, three years after Diabolical which was kind of a mixed bag. Birth of Malice is more consistent, Schmier is in top form, the riffs pack a punch, firing mostly on all cylinders and, and the leads fuckin' rip. Together with a crisp production, this is, for the most part, a highly rewarding thrash fest. Destruction are at their best when they speed up, and particularly "Cyber Warfare," "God of Gore" and "No Gods - No Masters" are rife with nostalgic savagery. Even the cringey namesake that opens the album works very well. Because of this preference for straightforward ferocity, cuts like "A.N.G.S.T", "Evil Never Sleeps" and the oddball "Greed" while OK, are harder to swallow. Overall, though, I'm pleasantly surprised by Destruction this time around and consider my thrash craving satisfied.