Destroy Destroy Destroy Battle Sluts

You can almost feel the collective groan from the metal community when it's revealed that Destroy Destroy Destroy classify themselves as a "glam/power metal" band that hail from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Having frequented the town of Murfreesboro I can assure you it is not exactly a mecca for either of those two genres. Nevertheless, Destroy Destroy Destroy raised some eyebrows with their 2006 debut Devour the Power and look to make another solid offering with their newest release Battle Sluts. It would be easy to dismiss DDD just for their outfits (lead vocalist Bryan Kemp has been known to prance around onstage in only leather chaps) or their nerd-tastic mindset (their profile on the Metal Blade website states that this album album "will instantaneously make your World of Warcraft character level up to a level-70 badass"), if not for their high levels of self-awareness. These dudes know they make goofy power metal about dragons, monsters and other subject matter that will set the mood for your next Dungeons and Dragons all-night marathon and are perfectly ok with it. But, Kemp and company can dance and headbang in unison all they want and no one will care if they don't have the chops to deliver something to get us dancing and headbanging too, and fortunately through most of Battle Sluts they succeed. Opener "The Second Coming" heralds the warrior's arrival with an orchestral score before segueing into "Battle Upon the Arctic Plains" which is about, you guessed it, an epic battle involving battle cats, wolves and "tusked beasts that shake the ground." Keyboards, relentless double bass and chanted group vocals all make an immediate appearance and continue throughout most of the album. "The Winged Panther" and "Born of Thunder" both make nice use of Brian Shorter's keyboard work and show the range of Kemp's voice, which alternates between occasional clean singing, his trademark sneer and the band's self-described "Viking vocals." While obvious Children of Bodom comparisons will be plentiful, it's when DDD throw other subgenres into the mix that they really excel. "The Wretched Forrest" is a vicious slab of black metal that succeeds due to Kemp's snarl, a frolicking riff and its short length. "Agents of Hypocrisy" flirts briefly with elements of thrash and even a little grind that almost makes you wish these dudes would consider a genre-switch. Bottom Line: An unserious album from a ridiculous band, Battle Sluts will not be launching into the stratosphere anytime soon. Still, DDD are good at what they do and are obviously having fun. If you count yourself a fan of any of the types of metal mentioned above, give this a listen.