Wildfire by Destroyer 666 is, in my opinion, the best metal album of the past decade. No other album from that time period could even come close to its incredible energy and impeccable songwriting. Nearly seven years later, they released a new full-length called Never Surrender. Much has happened during that long wait and those events influenced the lyrical content of the album, but the band still possesses that same primal spirit.
The musical style is almost identical to that of Wildfire. Some people will say the band is just retreading old ground, but if you have a formula that works, then you might as well use it. The production is pristine, as it’s both clear and forceful. The drums are played by Venefixion member Kev Desecrator. His performance is identical to that of Perra Karlsson, the guy he replaced. Blast beats still exist on songs like “Andraste”, but for the most part he plays simple upbeat rhythms and mid-paced patterns. Sometimes he throws in more complex arrangements complete with double bass on tracks such as “Mirror’s Edge”, and there are also songs like “Batavia’s Graveyard” where he plays slower beats that create a darker mood.
As K.K. Warslut has gotten older, he has focused less on vicious rasps and more on angry shouts, although harsher vocals can still be found on songs like “Pitch Black Night”. These angry shouts are performed exceptionally well and have a vigorous spirit. There is also an abundance of gang vocals which are a throwback to the glory days of thrash metal. Sometimes they sound like a dark chant such as on “Andraste”, and other times they sound like a morbid sea shanty like on “Batavia’s Graveyard”.
Joining Warslut on guitars is Felipe Plaza of Chilean epic doom metal band Procession. The riffs have always been the band’s strongest aspect, and this album is no exception. The performance is replete with simple thrashing power chords, vicious black metal tremolo riffs, rapid palm-muted riffs, wonderful arpeggios, and chord progressions that have a strong sense of melody. There is also a plethora of solos, all of which are a throwback to the golden age of metal. Some are blazing fast and ferocious while others are slower and more graceful. My favorite is the one on “Guillotine”, as it reminds me of Metallica back when they were good.
The band’s lyrics have become quite profound during their six year silence. The title track is all about the aggressive, freedom-loving spirit of metal. It encourages metalheads to never back down from those who wish to intimidate them into silence, to always double down, and to always stand up for that which is true and noble.
“Don't give an inch when ya know ya right!
Never back down, gonna fight! Fight! Fight!
Maximum charge, maximum volts,
Lightnin’ firin’ thunderbolts!
Never return, never go back!
Ever forward, attack! Attack! Attack!”
“Guillotine” is a more personal song as it was written in reaction to the tyrannical lockdowns the Australian government imposed upon its people during the Coronavirus pandemic. Warslut laments what has become of his country and wishes he could execute all the tyrants. “Mirror’s Edge” speaks of how the world has become full of weak and cowardly fools. Seeing that the world is blindly driving down the road to self-destruction, he bids it farewell and walks away. Judging by how many people are essentially checking out of the modern world, Warslut’s sentiments are becoming increasingly prevalent. “Grave Raiders” is about how the forces of world subversion are rewriting the histories of Western nations in order to demonize their native inhabitants. There’s also this verse which perfectly sums up social justice:
“They talk of peace,
Yet they bring us only strife.
They speak of love
Through sneering teeth and a voice of spite.”
“Savage Rights” is about the inhabitants of North Sentinel Island, and how they have been able to keep out anyone who tries to make contact with them, and, in doing so, keep out the destructive influence of modernity. “Rather Death” tells the story of Magnus, the legendary King of Frisia, who removed a false pope. When Charlemagne offered him a reward, he requested nothing other than the right to speak freely. The last song, “Batavia’s Graveyard”, tells the morbid tale of a Dutch ship known as the Batavia, the mutiny orchestrated by Jeronimus Cornelius, the murder of the ship’s women and children, and the execution of all the men who orchestrated that horrific crime.
Never Surrender is easily the best metal album of 2022. It may not reach the same heights as Wildfire – and in all honesty, I don’t think they’ll ever be able to top that album – but it does feature an extravagant and catchy instrumental performance that far surpasses their peers. The band is driven by one goal: make metal great again. If they keep making incredible albums like this and other bands follow suit, then that goal may one day be achieved.