I remember a couple of years ago when I first heard Protest the Hero’s “Clarity” off their (at the time) upcoming album Volition. That song, to this day, gets me insanely pumped up. I adore it, plain and simple. It got me so excited for the full album that I could barely contain myself when I got my hands on a copy. Since the opening track was “Clarity”, which I’d heard by then probably dozens of times, I decided to jump to the second track and start from there. Alas, what happened was that I found an album that was so busy and so convoluted that it was a slog to make it through even a few tracks at a time. It felt like everyone was competing against each other to stand out in the mix. The vocals were competing against sweeping guitar solos. The drums were blasting away against complex riffs. It was just too much and I still can’t make it through the whole album in one sitting. On one hand, I get bored. On the other hand, I get a headache. Neither is the type of reaction any band should want from a release.

I bring this up because I could very easily see Italy’s prog metal band Destrage fall into the same category as Protest the Hero. They’re both technically proficient, they both write highly energetic music, and they both fall under the same genre umbrella. However, while Protest the Hero’s Volition engaged in a ton of wankery, Destrage’s new album is a masterpiece of tight songwriting and explosively fun tracks.

The album opens with the title track, a song that is deceiving in that it doesn’t prepare the listener at all for what’s to come. It’s soft, melodic, and actually quite beautiful. It slowly eases its way in, gently rising in volume and adding a few layers at a time so as not to overwhelm anyone. Instruments fade in carefully, almost as though they’re asking for permission to be heard. The song builds in intensity and then comes crashing down into the next song “Don’t Stare at the Edge”, which explodes with energy. It’s fast and frantic yet feels tightly contained. But above everything it proves that this album is here to make listeners bang their head, stamp their feet, and pump their fists in the air…possibly all three at the same time.

The third track, “Symphony of the Ego“, continued that upbeat energy, opening almost like a Primus track. And while the opening made me think that this was going to be a wild and hectic track, they pulled everything together and it all coalesces into a tight track, one that flows from vicious riffing and arena-esque chants to a slower and more melodic bridge. With these three tracks under our belt, it’s obvious that Destrage knows what they’re doing and how to put forth some solid, kickass music.

As the album progresses, what becomes apparent is that they spent not only a lot of time paying attention to the construction of each track but also how they all will play against each other in the final order. The album flows wonderfully, many songs bleeding into the next, giving the illusion that this album is a cohesive journey rather than a collection of tracks that were simply gathered together.

For example, “Dreamers” seamlessly melts into “Ending to a Means”, which itself ends on feedback that slams into “Peacefully Lost”, one of my favorite tracks on the album. The two tracks after that are probably pack the heaviest punches. “Not Everything is Said” takes about a minute to build up to an explosion that will shake the walls in your house if you have a subwoofer connected. Meanwhile, “To Be Tolerated” is one of those tracks where it’s impossible to not move your body in some way. It’s also a track where you really get to hear how talented every member of the band is.

The album ends with “Abandon to Random”, which is the longest track at over 7 minutes. It uses that time to craft a song that is almost a release after such a burst of intensity. It’s not fast-paced but it still offers all the elements we’ve heard previously. There is aggression, melody, exciting riffs, and it gives the album a satisfactory sense of closure.

A downside to the album is that the mix sometimes leaves some instruments in a state where they aren’t able to be clearly heard. It’s not often but it’s frequent enough that it was noticeable. Still, missing a few notes here and there isn’t enough to distract me from having a good time!

The Final Word: With A Means to No End, Destrage prove that prog and metal doesn’t also have to mean “pretentious”. Rather, it can be chaotic, energetic, complex, technical, but above all, huge amounts of fun. Simply put, this album is a goddamn masterpiece.