Destructor is the surprise comeback album from More. Over forty years since their two mighty albums back in the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days – Warhead and Blood and Thunder – they fire back in 2026 with this real firecracker of a return.
Make no mistake – this is not a band trading on NWOBHM nostalgia. Oh no. Destructor is one heck of an album. Ten tracks of solid, well paced controlled heaviness which delivers a proper punch.
The album was recoded a few years ago when More worked with that well known producer Chris Tsangarides. For whatever reason, it wasn’t released back then. And of course Chris passed away in 2017.
So Destructor is the final album Chris produced – and being a member of More at the time his fine guitar work here is testament to his ability as both guitarist and producer. Over the years More have lost other former members. In a classy touch they are listed in the CD digipack.
Hearts on Fire opens the album and pounds away in style. The booming, steady drumming sets the foundation along with the locked in bass. The guitars punch away with the big riffs and well placed solos whilst the vocals come in hot too.
All features which remain constant over the full course of the album. That tight drumming in step with the bass are the foundation for the guitars to fire up a variety of riffing which cuts, slashes and throbs away.
The solos are all economic yet fully effective (no shredding for the sake of it). Sometimes trading off each other, sometimes the huge chugging chords at play whilst the other rips away. And all the while that rhythm section keeping it all tighter than tight.
Mike Freeland’s vocals deliver also – he’s all over it none more so that with the range and the shout along choruses.
Here’s the video for Rocquiem for example:
Scream is relentless. New World powerful and catchy. The title track a big four minute banger.
Spirits of War comes in with menace and Immortal has a lung busting, fist raising chorus.
Wolf Behind Your Eyes is arguably the best of the best. A rip-snorter where More shoehorn much controlled heaviness in to a few seconds short of five minutes.
That’s before the relentless fast paced cutting and slashing mayhem of the closer end this most fine of albums. The song is titled More – and let’s hope that’s what we get in the future……more from More.
The only weak spot here on Destructor in my opinion is My Obsession. Something of a generic “by the numbers” effort. It has (again, in my opinion) too much of a cheesy feel. It’s not bad, though not up to the high class of the other nine tracks.
All in all – a monster of a return from More and, er, more proof that “legacy” NWOBHM bands have all their chops intact.
On “legacy NWOBHM – we have the Saracen live album due soon and all being well new albums from Saxon and Quartz later this year.
In the meantime – snap up Destructor. The official release date is 6th March 2026 (about six weeks from time of posting.
If you can’t wait until then – limited numbers of signed CDs can be purchased form the band (where I got mine from):
https://moreofficialstore.square.site
The digital version can be “pre-saved” ready for release from the likes of Amazon Music and I suppose other digital platforms:
https://amzn.to/49v8tEi
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