Review by Felix on January 13, 2021.

Some bands can excite me a lot, but leave me relatively cold the next moment (read: song). You guessed it, Deströyer 666 is one of them. The euphoria of the first two critics does not really set in with me in the case of Terror Abraxas, because the general phenomenon of the Australians is reflected on this EP. It is not only the bland, expressionless and somehow tired sounding cover version at the end of the CD that clouds the overall impression.

Deströyer 666 always have the best songs to offer when they sound as evil as if the Grim Reaper himself is grinding his too-long fingernails over the blackboard of first graders. But that happens too rarely here. 'A Breed Apart' certainly has a fine measure of poignancy, bloodthirstiness and cruelty. Admittedly, it already becomes clear here that the drum sound is at a loss compared to the guitars. But some nasty melodies give the opener a scratchy, nasty character. After that, however, malice has its lunch break.

Of course, it was never a one-dimensional speed kills approach that the gentlemen from down under pursued. Similar to their faded compatriots from Assaulter, Mr. Warslut and colleagues can also be real bullies without having to set all musical levers to full attack. Nevertheless, the vocals, the melodies and the aura of the tracks lack a bit of the pitch-black element for me here. The anthemic 'Trialed by Fire' does not fall under easy-listening metal, but there are certainly enough pieces in the studded-wristbands-and-leather-jackets direction that challenge the listener more. No question, the band does not commit any serious mistakes. But when it comes to intensity, meanness and hostility, the last ten percent is missing, not only in the melodramatic, seven-minutes-mark-crossing title in the centre of the song list. It may be that the band itself noticed this during the recording. That could explain the partly hefty rumbling in 'Terror'. Unfortunately, the guitar lines die in this track before they can leave an impression. In contrast, they do not miss their effect in the other (self-composed) songs. No one should say that everything is bad here, it's just that not everything is good either. As a result, Terror Abraxas presents itself as a quite nice, but by no means essential EP, which would have deserved a few percentage points more with a less dull sound.

Rating: 6.6 out of 10

Review by Marcelo Vieira on August 4, 2024.

Deströyer 666 - one of the world of black metal’s most versatile and most volatile outfits. True rebels, a dying breed! And to what end do these miscreants feed their and your animal instincts? The total and complete rupturing of political correctness and an homage to the days when blackened metal was something to be feared. Deströyer 666 vision leader, Keith “KK” Warslut is a man who lives on the fray or I guess you could say in the past. His views on social/political issues are like something straight out of Lemmy’s playbook where honesty, strength, and unwavering swagger stand paramount. This no-bullshit way of viewing our shit world along with the music, which is about as fiercely adversarial as it gets is where this band’s allure comes into play. What kind of strong-willed person who believes in things like sovereignty, freedom of expression and true liberation wouldn’t be appalled by what the modern metal scene as a whole has become? Deströyer 666 is the voice of opposition, of war, and of pride. Master’s morality is put on display as opposed to the slave morality that so plagues the scene today. True representations of the black metal way are Deströyer 666 and as the PC bitches throw everything they’ve got at KK and crew, it simply rolls off of their battle-hardened shoulders. 

In 1997, Deströyer 666 released their sophomore effort, “Unchain the Wolves”. The cover art represents “the spirit of the white man”. Ah, how refreshing for a Caucasian to openly express such pride in his heritage without reservation or fear of being labeled a racist. For you see, there is no wrong for an individual, no matter of what race, taking pride in his heritage whether white, black, or whatever. Heathen pride! And in no way a disparaging of any other race. And the music? Raw, nasty, and brutal. Probably about as close to what’s considered to be true black metal as any of their other records. Deströyer 666 have ventured further and further away from this approach over the span of their career as they’ve infused more and more elements of thrash and heavy metals into their style. “Unchain the Wolves” quite simply captures the essence of the band’s youthful aggression as it stood before the eventual infusion of these other influences and the band’s more professional status as it stands today. 

With purely violent tracks like “Satan’s Hammer” and “Six Curses From a Spiritual Wasteland”, Deströyer 666 admonishes the folk, the melodicism, and the storytelling of Scandinavian black metal and quite simply crush them under their boots. Black metal for the enthusiast who embraces the notion that BM should always be as radical and provocative as possible. Black metal with balls. That’s not to say that D666 doesn’t dabble a bit in these as evidenced by “Tyranny” with its slower, more savory, and more melodic passages but short-lived they are! “Damnation’s Pride” to once again tear at the jugular and scourge the realm of true black metal before the album closes with “Onward to Arktoga”. A typical closing track for Deströyer 666: epic, meaningful, and thought-provoking. 

True champions of the adversarial path! Outlaws and free-spirits whose loyalty to their music and to the beast within stand unwavering in the face of opposition from today’s keyboard warriors, social justice bitches, sniveling special interest groups, and sleazy publications like MetalSucks and Metal Injection who’ve been nothing but cancers to the scene. In a league of their own, outcasts and the face of the enemy for those aforementioned. In much the same way as all of us who’ve stepped into the world of black metal and who have eventually developed the mindset to exist and to think on a plateau above what’s common, Deströyer 666 live by the code of the wolf and everything it stands for. Heroes if you ask me, are vital to the genre and a proud institution that any artist who’s truly free should emulate even if it’s only to a degree. Hail the White Wolf! All hail Deströyer 666… 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10