Album Review: I Am Destruction – Nascency (Unique Leader Records)

Formed in 2013 as a one-man project by guitarist and vocalist Stephen Mashburn, Dallas based I Am Destruction exploded onto the Texas scene with their unrelentingly extreme take on technical death metal. The group immediately set to work pursuing their vision of limitless sonic violence and tirelessly pushed themselves further and further into the realm of punishing brutality.

Over the next several years I Am Destruction honed their skills and song craft with dozens of shows across the Southwest that saw them eviscerating crowds and opening for the likes of Archspire, Cattle Decapitation, and Arkaik. The end result of their continuous effort was their debut EP Violence Devours, which was released on March 19th, 2018.

The group quickly began upping the intensity of their performance schedule, which included a stint of dates opening for Ingested as well as a well-received performance at Bay Area Death Fest in 2018. It wasn’t long before I Am Destruction caught the attention of Unique Leader Records who will release their earth-shattering debut full length Nascency on 24th April 2020.

An intro based in horror, the screams of a woman and declarations of a man that ‘it needs to come out’ sets up the brutality of Nascency. The slow drawl of the guitars, the methodical beat… it tells you all you need to know.

Propagated by Abnormality then takes things up an extra savage notch with vocals that are capable of stripping flesh from bone. All while the guitars and drums met out a beating with incredibly destructive intent.

It’s filth, the best kind of filth that fans of low and guttural death metal will find themselves wallowing in joyfully. Ruinous Phantasm, Burgeoning Adversary, Divine Infestation, Consequent Forfeiture… just track after track of mind-numbing and twisted devastation.

The pain is never-ending but it is so very worthwhile. There is even some flair to the riffs here and there but for the most part I Am Destruction stay extremely deep and heavy. So much so that the numbness begins to spread with the brutal instrumental Existence in Decay before Gehenna’s Beckoning, Dolor Perdition and the title track smash and crash their way into oblivion.

I Am Destruction – Nascency Full Track Listing:

1. Primo Incisum
2. Propagated by Abnormality
3. Ruinous Phantasm
4. Burgeoning Adversary (Ft. Michael Alvarez)
5. Divine Infestation
6. Consequent Forfeiture
7. Existence in Decay
8. Gehenna’s Beckoning
9. Dolor Perdition
10. Nascency

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