Destrophy : Cry Havoc
by Mark Allen
Staff Writer
The halfway point of the year has not yet been reached, but the contest for best melodic hard rock release of 2011 is all but in the books. With a big, ballsy, over-the-top album, Destrophy have emphatically staked their claim to the title and any other bands hoping to have a chance in hell at toppling them had better bring their A-game and then some.
Cry Havoc is the band’s fourth effort, their second one on a major label, and the first where they have wholeheartedly embraced the mousse-abuse melodic metal tendencies they dabbled with on previous albums. The band still hits hard—this is not wimpy AOR, this is most assuredly hard rock—but they do so in an ultra-melodic fashion, leaving the aggro-metal leanings of their early days on the cutting room floor in favor of cranking out an earnestly retro-sounding late ‘80s pop-metal powerhouse. The guitars are loud, the hooks are huge, every chorus is an anthem, and gang harmony vocals abound. In other words, this is a melodic hard rocker’s wet dream given sonic incarnation.
Destrophy effortlessly straddle the fence between heaviness and melody, following the formula that Skid Row rode to commercial success back in the late ‘80s. Destrophy focuses a little more on the melodic facets of the formula than the Skidsters did, but the approach is similar: rock hard with some grit, rock big with some gloss. Perhaps a grain or two more grit and a little less gloss would have slightly improved things, but nobody will want to quibble about such inconsequentialities when they are busy banging their heads and singing along to the monster choruses.
Ari Mihalopoulos’ singing varies between the slightly nasal style of Mike Tramp and the attitude-laced vocals of Sebastian Bach. He is ably backed by musicians that know what they are doing. In keeping with the hard-hitting-but-still-melodic approach of the band, the guitar work seesaws between ripping riffs, slick melodies, and razor-sharp solos. The drumming is a delight, every beat hammered home with authority; it sounds full and alive and invigorating, as if Joe Fox is trying to slam the sticks right through the skins. The bass and rhythm guitar do exactly what they are supposed to, providing firm backup on the more melodic numbers, then muscling their way to more menacing prominence during the full-throttle rock assaults.
Song variance is very solid, from ferocious rockers like “Cry Havoc” to mid-tempo rock anthems like “Still Bleeding” to heavy-hitters like “Misery” to eye-moistening power ballads like “Hello.” Speaking of “Hello,” the song is very good, a top-notch ballad with bittersweet lyrics that nostalgically recall receiving a phone call from an old friend, only to realize later that the friend called to say goodbye before committing suicide. It is a very emotional track, riddled with regret, laced with loss, and filigreed with guilt, but it is a poor choice to wrap up the album. A hard rock album should gallop off into the sunset with all guns blazing and leave the blood pumping hot in your veins, not cut your heart wide open and leave tears dripping down your cheeks. So, yeah, a really good ballad, just not sequenced properly.
If you hunger for the halcyon days of hair-metal, back when the term “bigger is better” was worn by bands as a badge of honor, then Cry Havoc will whisk you through the mists of time back to 1989 all over again. Destrophy has discarded nearly all their modern trappings, maintaining just enough hints to remain relevant, and ascended to the melodic hard rock throne. Any contenders seeking to strip away the crown will probably end up scurrying off like the dogs of war were snapping at their heels.
Genre: Melodic hard rock
Band:
Ari Mihalpoulos (vocals/guitar)
Eric Tisinger (guitar)
Phil Tschechaniuk (bass)
Joe Fox (drums)
Track Listing:
1. Cry Havoc
2. We Are Alive
3. Seven Nights
4. All My Life
5. Still Bleeding
6. Closer
7. What Would We Say
8. Misery
9. It Ends Tonight
10. Hello
Label: Victory Records
Hardrock Haven rating: 9.6/10