Immensely singable melodies, midtempo stomping riffs, and lurching four-on-the-floor drumming all abound on CHILDREN OF TECHNOLOGY's newest album, Written Destiny. The extended instrumental intro to "Soundtrack of No Future" is replete with soaring guitar lines and catchy phrases, as well as the attitude of early METALLICA, which carries over once the vocals start. Though the less-frenetic pacing and guitar tone is Hetfield-esque, the vocals are anything but; they are low and hastily barked out as if spitting a curse at one's enemy.

There is no shortage of tasty riffs on this album; triplet grooves like the ones on "Creation Through Destruction" or "The Days of Future Past", terse galloping riffs that are classic THRASH METAL staples, and bouncing power chord riffs like those on "The New Barbarians" all abound. The title track shows off an especially impressive main riff; a little bit like "Hit The Lights" but with the ferocity of the end chorus on "No Remorse". "Written Destiny" shifts from demonic thrash to measured midpaced crunch with a high-pitched scream altogether unexpected from someone with Deathlӧrd Astwulf's vocal style, for a mosh-worthy reprieve before the chaos begins again. This is definitely a band that has been around for a long time, because they know the ins and outs of the THRASH METAL genre so well, paying homage to genre stalwarts through riffs like the beginning of "The New Barbarians", which is classic ANTHRAX.

For a band so rooted in classic THRASH METAL sounds and traditions, it's interesting that it took until the fifth song, "Desert City", for there to be an extended guitar solo. The lead work elsewhere on the album has been melodic and more textural than anything, like at the end of the same song, where a series of crying octave bends shepherds the song to its end. The greater emphasis on soloing seems to continue throughout the second half of the album, as there is a solo on "Warpainted Nightcreatures" as well. Not only the lead work, but the riffing seems to step up, as "Warpainted Nightcreatures" also assaults the listeners with deft pull-off licks and tremolo picked melodies that blend with chugging low end to inject an element of nuance into the aggression. It's a strong contender for my favorite song of the album.

The second half of the album is unquestionably stronger than the first; the riffing is more imaginative, the songs have more shifts in feel, and the harmonized guitar lines are as catchy as ever. Album closer "Wasteland Cratediggers" is an excellent example, using a drop from full-tilt rage to brisk trot to prime the listener for a scalding solo. There is also a hypnotic clean interlude (which becomes a hypnotic clean fade out), played by an instrument I have trouble identifying, probably a synth of some kind. The first half of the album is still good, it just feels more derivative and less exciting than the second. Overall a worthwhile and enjoyable slab of THRASH METAL for your listening pleasure.