TL debut anything but Zen-like
If there is any doubt in one’s mind that heavy music is dead, look no further than Philadelphia’s Total Fucking Destruction. The extreme foursome’s first album for Translation Loss Records entitled Zen And The Art of Total Fucking Destruction is part high-intensity grind, part acoustic-punk with a slight splash of instrumental experimentation. The juxtaposed grind/acoustic-punk makes for quite an interesting album dynamic and guarantees one of the most unique listens so far in 2007. Consisting of two very distinct musical intersections, Zen And The Art of Total Fucking Destruction is a curious concoction that stays true to its punk roots.
It is quite evident after a few listens that TFD is heavily influenced by the DIY ethic—the fact that the acoustic portion of the record was recorded in-home is enough indication alone. Add to that lyrical content including various anti-government comments, in-your-face misanthropic jabs and a general ‘pro-individual’ ideology and the band’s true punk origins become readily apparent. Make no mistake though, as the majority of this album is pure grind at its most perverse and pessimistic.
Boasting ex-Brutal Truth drummer Rich Hoak, 10 of the 14 songs on Zen And The Art of Total Fucking Destruction is pure blast-beat grind wickedness. As serious as it is sardonic, the band plays hyper grind in 0:48-second to 3-minute blasts and asks no forgiveness as they give a seriously pissed-off middle finger to the daily intolerance indifference and collective evils of the human race. Though essentially a grind band, TFD displays their diversity with four acoustic tracks that, if heard alone, would paint a picture more in the vein of an acoustic-punk band than a grind outfit (especially after hearing the Black Flag-esque “Kill The Jocks and Eat Their Brains”). On the final track of the album, the band really branches out combining a blend of tribal drumming, piano, and (what sounds like) saxophone behind repeating chants of “Nihilism, Emptiness, Nothingness, Nonsense” which is (not surprisingly enough) the name of the song.
Overall this is a strong outing by TFD and a solid first release on Translation Loss. In all honesty though, this is not necessarily anything new. While the blazingly heavy grind TFD spews forth is the perfect medium by which to convey the overtly misanthropic attitude, DIY ethics, and general disdain for the current state of humanity the band fosters, this is not necessarily groundbreaking material. The fact that the band includes 4 acoustic tracks displays the band’s artistic diversity, but also slightly weakens the overall tone of the album and makes for an interesting but slightly disjointed listen. Without question, TFD shows promise on Zen And The Art of Total Fucking Destruction…though they would probably be the last to admit it.
| Reviewer: Chris Hodge Added: April 26th 2007 |
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