Genre: Black/thrash metal
Origin: Germany
Released: 2009
Website: Zerstörer
Label: Ashen Productions
Uploaded: 14.06.09

I had never heard of Zerstörer before, so after listening a couple of times to the album I looked them up and gave the predecessor Panzer metal from 2002 a listen. They sure have come a long way since then, ‘cause that album didn’t really thrill my bones. And now they’re back in 2009 with the follow-up Declaration of war, which shows so much development and maturing.
Although not carrying the title this is certainly still panzer metal, and right from the get go it is like a grand declaration of war, so they’ve definitely picked a fitting title this time around as well. The music has a wicked drive to it, constantly pushing it forward until you can almost imagine the tanks coming up the hill to blast you to smithereens. At times I get some old Marduk flashbacks. I think it might be due to the semi-melodic guitar lines hiding in the background, allwhile the thrashing riffs are in the foreground adding a somewhat Australian feel to it all. There’s even a certain War-esque touch, spiced with some old school Norwegian black metal.
These German lads seem to have taken their favourite parts from all kinds of bands, and mixed it into their own brand of thrashing black metal, at times hinting of death. Sure, it brings nothing new to the scene, but it certainly delivers. The fast drum tempo is perfect for keeping your attention at a max, as the harsh and raw screaming adds tons of brutality. And with a track like Slaughter of divinity they slows things down (which just makes the riffing pop out even more), but still manages to keep the same stark and powerful atmosphere of pummeling tanks, overheating machineguns and soldiers giving out one last dying scream. While many bands try to accomplish this feeling, they seldom make it. But Declaration of war does really sound like a battlefield soundtrack, without even using any war movie samples.

Tracklist:
01. Metal terror
02. Hatred rising
03. Vengeance
04. Slaughter of divinity
05. Pick axe blasphemy
06. Total frost
07. Infernal warfare
08. Life absorber
09. Buried alive
10. Shattered universe