Can we call the release before us a new DESTRUCTION album? Yes and no. On one hand, each of the 15 tracks on the disc was fully recorded, mixed, and mastered. On the other hand, only two of the 15 compositions are new -- the remaining 13 are essentially a Best Of compilation. After the awful SODOM album where Tom tried to recreate the sound of the '80s, there were some fears that Schmier might go down the same path. Fortunately, that did not happen: all 15 tracks are superbly recorded, sounding far more interesting and better compared to the original versions. The material was subjected to virtually no changes, except that certain parts were pushed differently in the mix and the vocal style in some songs differs slightly. Taken as a whole, we obviously are not hearing anything astounding, unique, or mind-blowing. Two songs come from the 1984 debut EP "Sentence of Death," four from the debut full-length "Infernal Overkill," two more from 1986's "Eternal Devastation," three from 1988's "Release from Agony," and the title track "Cracked Brain" from the fourth album. The songs "Deposition (Your Heads Will Roll)" and "Profanity" are presented to the public for the first time. This disc is above all an opportunity to revisit classic DESTRUCTION hits with a modern sound -- if nothing else, recording technology has made fantastic strides over the past twenty years. For all fans of classic old-school German thrash and DESTRUCTION devotees, this is simply an excellent gift.
