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I Am Destruction: Carving A Path Of Destruction

Stephen Mashburn is no stranger to the international technical death metal scene. Having formed his band I AM DESTRUCTION back in 2013, he quickly asserted himself as a talent to watch whilst he proceeded to grow the ranks of a genre widening with every passing year. Starting as a one man project, Stephen was quick to want to grow his ideas even further. 

“It really did not take long to form a band from being a one-man,” explains Stephen, before continuing, “I think it was around five months after I recorded the first song, From Hip to Hip, that I started looking for members. What drove it was my wanting to play live music. I was personally stagnant from live performances for around four-years before the first I AM DESTRUCTION show.

After forming a band and going through the bonding process, I AM DESTRUCTION eventually finished their writing process with Nascency as the result. A thunderous and impactful debut full of ferociously technical death metal riffs, big breakdowns, and the typical passages of speedy musical wizardry expected from bands like I AM DESTRUCTION. With the band growing from a one man project, the evolution of their writing process throughout their formative years is an essential piece of the puzzle of why Nascency is such a bruising and brilliant debut record. 

“The writing process became a lot quicker, I think. Paul [Dundas, guitars] and I have a lot of ideas that are cohesive, so the songs come together, and flow, rather than just a bunch of riffs thrown together. Buddy [Griffin, drums] has a rich mind for how drums should sound to certain parts, that coupled with his ferocious style, really is the glue that holds it together. Richie [Pennington, bass] is masterful at the bass, so everything he does makes it sound massive.”

With this high praise for his band mates combined with the bands dormant five years writing, recording, and perfecting their debut, I AM DESTRUCTION were able to hit the live circuit with some level of intensity, gracing the stage years before their initial debut launch. Sharing the stage with bands like CATTLE DECAPITATION so early on in one’s career must come with a combination of both exhilaration and terrifying petrification. “The pressures everyone expects. I get nervous playing in front of any national act, especially if I know them. You want people to like what you are doing because you respect what they do.”

Being in a band as new as I AM DESTRUCTION must come with a special level of disappointment when your plans get scuffed into oblivion thanks to a raging pandemic. But, with that said, a genre as beloved as tech death comes with its own realms of obsession amongst its fans, and I AM DESTRUCTION providing more than enough fodder amongst their music to drive any fan of fast and heavy music into obsession. Releasing a new record as potent as Nascency in a time like now could create a memory for any fan currently in isolation discovering this noise for the very first time.

“To me, personally, extreme music has always been a nice way to escape the anxieties and complexities that cause the din of life. So, if anything, I hope people can find a calm place in Nascency. Being stuck at home is hard for anyone, especially if you are all-the-sudden thrust into home-schooling your kids, so that is why I think extreme music is important. Not only for listening, but it’s amazing how many home-produced extreme bands there are, and how well they are accepted. Create, listen, enjoy.” 

Nascency is out now via Unique Leader Records. 

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