Destrage – SO MUCH. too much. (3DOT Recordings)

If you ever were into the music of Destrage, you probably learned these guys aren’t joking around with their music. After all, revisit their classics like Urban Being, The King Is Fan’N’Old, Are You Kidding Me? No, A Means To No End and The Chosen One, and you’ll realize Destrage never put out a bad recording. Each full-length bursts with sheer aggression, exceptional musicianship, and brilliant ideas that go way beyond regular metalcore sound. However, their latest album probably outshines their previous works. After two decades of roaming the scene, Destrage managed to stay vital by implementing many innovations, changes, and ideas. They always avoided and escaped the cliches. That’s the case with SO MUCH. too much., released by 3DOT Recordings today.

First of all, many things are going on throughout the entire album, and there’s no way you’ll grasp everything in one sitting. SO MUCH. too much. demands your complete attention while listening because these musicians incorporated everything you could think of in their numbers. Perhaps Destrage solely relies upon the fundamentals of metalcore, but their music showcases many explorations into other genres. It’s nearly mindblowing how these experienced musicians incorporated some of the finest ingredients of progressive metal, post-metal, alternative metal, djent, sludge, math-core, post-hardcore, shoegaze, psychedelic rock, post-rock, ambient, industrial, glitch, and electronic music. It may seem like a chaotic pile to some, but Destrage thoroughly combined each element to work to the advantage of their compositions.

Of course, these guys keep these songs progressive, technical, and complex as much as possible. The guitars sound insane from scratch to finish. Both guitar channels burst with tremendous virtuosities, licks, shreds, riffs, melodies, harmonies, themes, and other sonic delicacies. Each segment sounds like a mind-boggling equation and pushes the reasoning to the limits of comprehension. Equally complex basslines are mainly responsible for keeping this material as massive as possible but also help the exceptional drumming performance by providing a portion of dynamics. Of course, nothing would sound so profoundly energetic without enormously complex rhythmic acrobatics, accentuations delivered by continuous splashing over the cymbals, and appropriate drum fills. Like the remainder of the group, the lead vocalist delivers a top-notch performance through maniacal screams, growls, and shoutouts, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon some clean singing parts. This album possesses something for everyone, so you should check it out immediately if you’re into progressive metalcore music. Head to 3DOT Recordings for more information about ordering.