Axes grind in bloodthirsty precision as scalps of angels fall into the hands of Lucifer as he dwells upon his massacre of the divine. His soundtrack during this savage disembowelment of the holy? Most likely "The Arts of Destruction." Desaster serves a bestial, scathing plate of black/thrash metal flying under the usual curses of this German band, not really showing any progression from their "Satan's Soldiers Syndicate" effort, but I don't give a damn. The band's seventh album is predictably diabolical and venomous, striking like the poisoned claws of a gorgon from Hell. Given that Desaster left the point of salvation decades ago, it only makes sense that they continue this burning feat after five years between releases. It's roughly the same mold as their last slew of material, but still flexing the riffs and attitude to respect the essence of evil metal.

Just glancing at the song titles, I knew this was going to be exactly how it sounds. Opening incision "The Art of Destruction" yields precisely what Desaster has become: a sleazy mess of tremolo riffs and quick thrash nods tied between Sataniac’s unique howls and constant pounding on the instrumental floor. Can't really complain though, because they deliver track after track of consistent, sodomizing metal that drips unrelenting aggression and dark energy. Does it all sound the same? A little, but the lack of variety isn't a big deal; Desaster has the goods to do the same show without tarnishing the themes of "The Arts of Destruction," if that makes sense. Anthems like "Phantom Funeral" or the awesome "Queens of Sodomy" are dark, sinister, brutal, and rotten to the core...not that Desaster flirts with opposite realms, mind you. Essentially, the record delivers blow after blow of remarkably scorching black/thrash metal, balancing both sounds on a stable yet devastatingly enjoyable level without any curve balls in sight.

Interestingly, Desaster delivers an unexpected epic plodding on for more than eight minutes, calling itself "Possessed and Defiled." Rather than just bite and gnaw, this ritualistic piece surprisingly slithers in and around many atmospheric melodies and riffs; there's also a narrative section toward the end of the song as well, making it one of the more memorable numbers due to its oddities. The concluding instrumental is completely useless and accomplishes next to nothing in the grand scheme of things…no idea why they'd throw that in there instead of using the strong "Beyond Your Grace" as an ending theme. But in the land of meat and potatoes, the texture and taste lies within the first ten offerings, and one would be nuts to truly dwell on the meandering finale than the entire collection of sin itself.