Total Fucking Destruction-Peace, Love, And Total Fucking Destruction
When New York grindcore powerhouse Brutal Truth disbanded in 1999, drummer Richard Hoak started a new project, one that mixed his cynical view on life with a little dash of humor and stripped-down grind: simply named, Total Fucking Destruction. Peace, Love, and Total Fucking Destruction, the latest creation from the band, is a tour de force, a heart-pounding experience that will make you believe that the world is really near its end, due in part to both the chaotic nature of the music and the non-linearity of the storyline.
Peace, Love and Total Fucking Destruction is a concept album, detailing the story of a young survivor of the 4th World War and the struggles of living with an oppressed government. For some, that may not be outright apparent, but browsing through the linear notes shows a wealth of information that better explains the underlying meaning of each song, and the album as a whole. Hoak and company deserve credit for taking a chance with packing a full-fleshed story into 25 minutes of music.
Unlike the two-to-three minutes songs on Total Fucking Destruction’s last album, Zen and the Art of Total Fucking Destruction, Peace, Love, and Total Fucking Destruction takes it back to the basics, with a majority of the tracks under the one-minute mark. The songwriting is good enough so that ten second songs like “Boxcutter” and “Let’s Fucking Do This!!!” can stand out from each other. On a selected number of tracks, the band experiments outside their grind influences, with the heavy metal “Let The Children Name Themselves,” the punk-ish “Non-Existence Of The Self,” and the seven minute grind/acid rock fusion “Last Night I Dreamt We Destroyed The World” the most note-worthy.
Peace, Love, and Total Fucking Destruction is a stellar grind album with clean production and a knack for memorable songs. Richard Hoak vocals/drums are steady and precise to a tee. His other band members aren’t slouches either; it’s nice to hear a clear bass in the mix, which Joe Sweeney takes prime advantage of, and guitarist Steve “Pingdum” Morasco shines with his hyper-active riffs. Peace, Love and Total Fucking Destruction has flown under the radar of many metal fans, but those with an open mind will find an engaging experience ahead of them.
Rating: 8/10
Label: Enucleation Records
Website: http://www.myspace.com/totalfuckingdestruction
By Dan Marsicano
(+23 rating, 5 votes)
