History & Biography These smug death metallers came together in Birmingham in 2012. A.R. had been a part of Cancer ten years prior. The trio’s first output was its self-titled demo of 2013. Steve Powell (Anaal Nathrakh) was a mere guest drummer. Carl Stokes of Cancer engineered the demo. The band had a follow-up demo in 2014. It was called Hate Legions Ride! Presumably because the underground shall not stay underground, someone called Wolfspell Records compiled the demos into the Amidst The Blackest Void CD in late 2014.
The band and UK-based Blackwood Productions banded together next and the result was the Commandments Of War And Necromancy debut full-length, which was issued in 2018. Total Death released this on CD later. The album was produced by guest drummer Anil Carrier (also Anaal Nathrakh). No Fucking Mercy evidently really meant it. The act was a trio now and featured C.P. on drums. Second guitarist Lewis Chrimes was also inducted a short while later upping the ranks to a quartet. The group had hoped that becoming a full line-up would allow it to play live for the first time, but then the pandemic occurred. The group eventually had its live debut in September 2021.
The Britons switched to Chinese label Awakening Records for the third album, Written In Blood From The Blade. This record was delayed as a hard drive failure resulted in the material being wiped necessitating a rerecording. The band had nonetheless hoped for an earlier album release date than the eventual March 2023 timeframe. The group opened for Hexenbrenner, Wode and Wayfarer locally. The band, which featured a Necromantia cover version on its newest album, was also heard on the Necromantia tribute record, In Honour.
Reviews ARROGANT DESTRUKTOR - WRITTEN IN BLOOD FROM THE BLADE - AWAKENING
As the third record of the UK-based quartet kicks off, the first thing the uninitiated notices is a Venom-like typhoon with the noise and fury that goes with it. If that sounds embryonic or crude then even before that the listener, as the viewer of the album jacket, sees a rudimentary cover artwork that makes one wonder how serious or deft this band is going to be musically. A witch is about to be immolated as she awaits her sentence upon a bed of a pentagram.
Dirt And Ruin is the first song and is raw as hell. The deep demonic vocals match the fury of the music. It is a powerful track. The song ends with a whiff of synthesisers, something that was buried and mostly unheard in the body of the track thank the devil. Bestial Ritual returns the deep vocals and screams. There are hellfire riffs and scorching chords, but the use of backing synthesizers puts a damper on this and only serves to demonstrate that the band does not know how to fill its sound properly and has to resort to the childish instrument of wimps and pop music. By now it is obvious that Arrogant Destruktor roams lands inhabited by the likes of Venom, Bestial Warlust, Marduk and Front. The Call Of the Dead has a whiff of newer Sodom and Impaled Nazrene past a death/doom start because it is built on a foundation of Motorhead-gone-death metal. It is soon enough an underground sound landscape with multiple vocal channels thrash bashing the speakers to smithereens at high speeds. The galloping riff, dare one say, almost has a catchy quality to it. The Brand presumably is speaking of the stamping variety as opposed to the marketing kind, yet a lack of lyrics mean this is simple conjecture. It is a more harmonic track that has a primitive sound with a Dissection feel. Still, it is bashing away as usual and there is nothing slick or melodic about it. The bass moshes forward as the guitars stop and go atop. It is impossible to say which instrument is more distorted.
Track number five is mid-album obviously. Mourning The Lost Symphonies is a synthesised interlude that is the equivalent of a commercial on TV. It is an opportunity to grab a beverage or go to the washroom while the stereo plays on. The title track offers a touch of Bathory, Darkthrone and Immortal. The bestial vocals are buried under the barrage of pounding guitar which dominates the somewhat tepid drums. It picks up pace unexpectedly mid-song amidst an infusion of speed and energy that fades out like a pop tune. It, along with The Brand, are the longest tunes at 6:24 minutes. The Snarling Jaws Of Wolves features a slightly more treble guitar tone that is regrettably backed by filler keyboards. Why have them?
The stop-and-go nature of the song exposes the keys but on the flip side the track contains some of the deepest vocals of the record. Disease And Terminal Breath is as ominous as its title and as the thrashy music. The deep infernal vocals and underground brutality on the track are appreciated. The vocals veer the music and tempo in an andante direction as the litany of power makes its case. The riffs on this one are smashingly heavy, yet … sudden ending! The album ends on a down note with a dreaded Necromantia cover version, which, of course, contains keyboards. This one is barely worth mentioning. Yes, guitars are included courtesy of A.D. on this track, which the band has also used on a Necromantia covers' CD called In Honour. Who cares, right? As pointless as the thousands of the cover versions out there are covering a shite band like Necromantia renders matters even worse.
Arrogant Destruktor is primal and primitive, excludes lead guitars or any additive elements for that matter and is and shall remain underground forever. - Ali “The Metallian”
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