Destrage
The King Is Fat'N'Old

EXTREME LEGACY

I am certainly not making any groundbreaking claims by saying that a band tries to stand out from the crowd by releasing a single with an attractive video. However, it often happens that, even in extreme genres, that supposed hit is shockingly, almost embarrassingly, banal. Well, try watching the linked video below and tell me if Destrage have not succeeded in their attempt to blend Mathcore with catchiness without falling into the ridiculous for even a second. The brilliant video, created by one of the two guitarists, perfectly ties in with the ironic schizophrenia of the piece.

From the first viewing, I am stunned: an incredible sound, vocals ranging from Growl to Scream to Clean, an amazing drummer, panic-inducing syncopated rhythm.

BUT WHO THE HELL ARE THEY???

A few minutes of research and the wonderful surprise arrives: Italians, from Milan!
In a few days, "The King is Fat'n'Old" is playing loudly both in the car and at home and at the office, and to this day, there's no band that doesn't stay in line. Total monopoly!

First impact devastating, very positive first impressions: the violence of Lamb of God ("Double Yeah") combined with the psychosis of Dillinger Escape Plan ("Smell You Later Fishy Bitch") and the carefree fun of Every Time I Die ("Jade's Place").

After repeated listens, the intricate tangle of continuous passages and tempo changes begins to unravel, and yet another detail, a hidden nuance that you wonder how it escaped you before, lodges in your mind.
From the beginning to the end of this "The King," you never know where the track will head, how it will develop and end. Used to hearing clone bands or those that recycle themselves endlessly, excuse me if that isn't much.

The high technical rate of the whole combo is evident, often a double-edged sword, but not in this case.

They avoid the polar coldness and useless virtuosities that serve no purpose.
Rather than express themselves in solos, almost always brief but intense ("Neverending Mary," "Back Door Epoque," "Home Made…"), they focus on heart attack-inducing rhythms, variations of rhythm and color, quickly transitioning from hammerings in pure Fear Factory/Meshuggah style ("Twice The Price") to never-banal melodic openings ("Back Door Epoque" stunning, three songs in one) and on more than one occasion venturing into brief interludes of classical/flamenco guitar (had they developed "Back Door Reprise," I would have delighted immensely!).

But if all these characteristics are already hard to find in a single Metalcore band (just to label them superficially and almost inappropriately) and they are not enough for you, add one more ingredient, perhaps the one I appreciated the most: the irony that emerges even in the toughest tracks ("Home Made Chili Delicious Italian Beef," "Panda Vs Koala," titles that already say it all, with the latter ending with the announcement of Panda's victory in Tekken style!), the desire not to take oneself too seriously while working, uh, seriously, and the fun they convey in every single note. I keep imagining them singing and playing with a smile on their face, regardless of the inverted crosses and pitbull grimaces that the genre now serves up.

Impossible to go into detail about the individual tracks, it would take forever for each one, but believe me that if these guys were American, we would find them right away on the covers of industry magazines and supporting some super big name on tour.
Thoughts that bring me back to the band that in the '90s was a reference point in the Italian Thrash scene: obviously Extrema.
The legacy I hope is "limited" to taking care of the album production (a deserved applause to Rigotti), trying to always be one step ahead and bringing their name to stages all over Italy, and beyond.
But legacy is not enough, obviously a little bit of the luck that the "old" Milanese lacked will be needed.
I believe in it and they, of course, even more.