This incarnation of Destruction was no doubt finding influence from the second stage of thrash and the all-conquering groove metal; it was nearly a decade since Schmier and Mike Sifringer had worked together. While the touches of groove and post-primitive thrash are obvious, this still has a multitude of aggressive, thrashy riffs lacerating more energy than a kid on a Mountain Dew binge, all of which is topped off with a killer, crispy guitar tone and wonderful performances by each member. The material overall emits an aroma of modern thrash that isn't wildly varied or radically shifting, but the songs are generally explosive and volatile numbers of pure Destruction just as we know them, and Schmier's energetic, poisonous yelps sound as if he never left in the first place.

Call this blasphemy, but the (bazillioth) rerecording of "Total Desaster" here is easily my favorite; it's burning thrash swaying through circles of awesome modern touches fitting into the classic 80s feel, which certainly is not lost in this glorious update. "Tears of Blood" and "Machinery of Lies" are systematic thrashers which reek of absolute Destruction, nothing more. Hell, even the groove-influenced numbers ("World Domination of Pain," "Visual Prostitution") have enough hooks and great songwriting to keep the alloy fresh, whereas "The Final Curtain" and "The Butcher Strikes Back" remain crucifying trophies of modern thrash perfection. "X-Treme Measures" pays homage to the insipid groove hooks that ran the metal scene throughout the late 1990s, and the musical comparisons to Machine Head and the other groove monkeys are undeniable. "Kingdom of Damnation" is also quite forgettable and vapid, but the rest of "All Hell Breaks Loose" is spot-on Destruction sweating the energy and persistence of malevolent thrash metal honoring its German masters.