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Hero Destroyed

Throes

Written by: AP on 27/12/2010 22:38:33

Hailing from literally one of the most metal cities in the world, the City of Steel also known as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Hero Destroyed sound like the sum of their surroundings. With towering industrial plants looming in the horizon, it comes hardly as a surprise that the band seems influenced as much by the perpetual grinding, clanking and hissing in their ears as by the barren metalcore of nearby Zao. The band's second album, "Throes", is the abrasive sound of a rusty factory running over its capacity, and as such, the experience of listening to it can be likened to that chilling noise from dragging a fork across porcelain.

Hero Destroyed have studied meticulously combinations of notes that are at maximum discord and created melodies out of them... or, at the very least, songs. You see, melody is something of an abstract concept on "Throes", as here it refers merely to various arrangements of jarring, inharmonious cacophony - so foul and mechanical that if you dared compose something akin to it at Berklee, it would warrant an instant expulsion accompanied by the red mark of John Petrucci's fist on your face. "Throes" is not designed to please; it is designed to constitute the worst kind of aural rape imaginable.

But at the same time, with their sadism Hero Destroyed achieve a sound that is almost exclusively theirs (with only Coalesce and Burnt by the Sun equally notorious for stuffing such punishing amp vomit down your throat), not to mention impressive. From a technical standpoint, the compositions are - as violent as they may sound on the ear - ones that require the prowess of seasoned songsmiths and musicians. The lengthier pieces "Army of Draccoons", "Cerberus" and "Wickerbasket Splinter" all highlight the compositional aptitude of the band - able to do so because in these songs vocalist Pat McNicholas actually opts out for more than a few seconds and allows the instruments to have a shot at summoning at least some emotion.

But the unfortunate byproduct of "Throes" is that despite its many merits, it will never succeed at tempting the listener to return - much like a human walrus seen through beer goggles will do for one night but not for booty calls. You don't take him/her home and you remember to change one digit of your phone number when he/she asks for it. As such, with "Throes" Hero Destroyed continue where the self-titled album left off - like a serial rapist - gauging your eardrums out with refined instruments. So if defiled, industrial metalcore is your drug of choice, by all means, bend over.

Download: Army of Draccoons, Cerberus, Wickerbasket Splinter
For the fans of: Burnt by the Sun, Coalesce, Gaza, Keelhaul
Listen: Myspace

Release date 31.08.2010
Relapse Records