“Join my religion or die”

I absolutely worship Curse The Gods, it’s the track that got me into German thrash masters Destruction and one of my all-time favourite metal songs. The opening track of their superb 1986 album Eternal Devastation, it shows the increasingly nifty band embarking on a path of technicality that would ultimately cause a catastrophic rupture in their lineup. But Curse The Gods strikes the perfect balance between the more ambitious, varied structure of bands like Metallica with the infernal satanic speed metal attack of the band’s earlier bullet-belted days.

Guitarist Mike Sifringer dishes out an array of killer, inventive riffs in a variety of tempos with a uniquely nasty and razor-edged guitar tone and frontman Schmier sounds chaotic and unhinged while still delivering indelible hooks. And his choice high-pitched yelp results in one of metal’s most invigorating, unforgettable choruses. So curse the Gods all you like, but give praise to Destruction for blessing us all with this trash metal masterpiece.