The second album by experimental metal freaks
Total Fucking Destruction showcases three sides of the band in sequence: the first ten tracks on the CD are pummeling post-hardcore blasts, averaging under two minutes each and featuring pretty much all the metalcore clichés a listener could want. It's on the CD's final third that things get interesting: the last four tracks are acoustic weirdness that blend acid folk, psych, and free jazz with abandon and the no-rules aesthetic of the late-'60s ESP-Disk bands. Had the ratio been switched,
Zen and the Art of Total Fucking Destruction would have been a far more interesting album. The accompanying DVD, a live set of eight songs clocking in at a little over ten minutes, combines elements of the two styles, featuring songs from both along with some new material that splits the difference between. The DVD solidifies the argument that
Total Fucking Destruction's more experimental acoustic side is far more interesting than the standard-issue metalcore that makes up the majority of this album.