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Idolatry (1991)
Devastation was a thrash metal band formed in the mid-'80s. Their first two albums weren’t particularly good, though the second one at least had a few passable songs. So it might have come as a surprise when their third album absolutely killed everything they'd done before. Idolatry, released in April 1991, was recorded at Morrisound Studio, which unfortunately means it carries that flat, sterile sound that plagued so many early '90s death metal records thanks to Scott Burns.
This came at a time when the line between thrash and death metal was sometimes blurry, and there was still some overlap. There are definite death metal riffs here, and the drumming takes more than a few cues from the Floridian scene, at times. The mid-paced riffs paired with rolling double bass are one of the weaker elements, with more groove than intensity, but thankfully, Devastation didn’t lose their thrash roots. The influence of Slayer, Dark Angel, and Sepultura is still very much alive in the riffing and there are plenty of faster parts with pummeling drums. A lot of this could easily be mistaken for something off Malevolent Creation’s The Ten Commandments, for instance.
The vocals sound somewhat like Jeff Becerra of Possessed, though not quite as harsh. The whole album feels like being repeatedly bludgeoned with a concrete block with its violent assault. But despite the thick mix and and focus on intensity and aggression, the band managed to write a good number of memorable riffs and vocal lines. It’s clear they finally figured things out just before calling it quits.
The songs may run a little longer than they need to, and the production does the music no favours, but the material itself is strong enough to survive it. Trimming the breakdowns and attaining a sharper guitar tone would have helped, though. Idolatry may have been a case of too little, too late but Devastation at least went out on a high note. Fans of the aforementioned bands, as well as the likes of Demolition Hammer, should definitely give this a listen.
This came at a time when the line between thrash and death metal was sometimes blurry, and there was still some overlap. There are definite death metal riffs here, and the drumming takes more than a few cues from the Floridian scene, at times. The mid-paced riffs paired with rolling double bass are one of the weaker elements, with more groove than intensity, but thankfully, Devastation didn’t lose their thrash roots. The influence of Slayer, Dark Angel, and Sepultura is still very much alive in the riffing and there are plenty of faster parts with pummeling drums. A lot of this could easily be mistaken for something off Malevolent Creation’s The Ten Commandments, for instance.
The vocals sound somewhat like Jeff Becerra of Possessed, though not quite as harsh. The whole album feels like being repeatedly bludgeoned with a concrete block with its violent assault. But despite the thick mix and and focus on intensity and aggression, the band managed to write a good number of memorable riffs and vocal lines. It’s clear they finally figured things out just before calling it quits.
The songs may run a little longer than they need to, and the production does the music no favours, but the material itself is strong enough to survive it. Trimming the breakdowns and attaining a sharper guitar tone would have helped, though. Idolatry may have been a case of too little, too late but Devastation at least went out on a high note. Fans of the aforementioned bands, as well as the likes of Demolition Hammer, should definitely give this a listen.
(5 May 2025)
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