Force of Destruction is album #10 from Germany's Paragon and it kicks all kinds of ass, plain and simple. The album is so full of dark, speedy and incredibly heavy Power Metal that the riffs practically spill out of the speakers. I've never been much of a Paragon fan but Force of Destruction grabbed my attention from the opening chords of "Iron Will" and has yet to relinquish that hold.
Force of Destruction is in the vein of European Power Metal but so much heavier. Take the best songs from Iron Savior's Condition Red and cross them with Accept's Blood of the Nations and you'll get an inkling of what the album has to offer. There is speed to spare and on songs like "Tornado," Rising from the Black" and the superbly cheesy "Bulletstorm," drummer Christian Gripp viciously abuses his bass drums. Guitarists Jan Bertram and Wolfgang Tewes get an incredible sound from their instruments and their solos are outstanding. Singer Andreas Babuschkin growls like a demon. The speedy songs are fantastic fun but Force of Destruction is no one-trick-pony and the best song on the album is slow, smoldering "Blood & Iron" with it's crushing riff and echoes of classic Manilla Road woven throughout. And just when you think the song can't get any better, Paragon throw in guest vocals from Gamma Ray's Kai Hansen and Iron Savior's Piet Sielck.
2012's been a quirky year for Heavy Metal but Paragon's Force of Destruction is straight-up, unadulterated Heavy Metal goodness and my first "Highly Recommended" album of the year.
