Lucille – Dawn of Destruction Review

By Tyme

I might not have four hungry children and a crop in the field, but what I do have is the debut album from Polish thrashers Lucille. So don’t leave just yet, dear readers; you’ve picked a fine time to join me. Formed in 2017, Lucille spent a considerable amount of time gigging the underground circuit while writing and refining their message, which would form the basis of their 2021 EP, Too Proud to Beg for Mercy, which caught the attention of Dying Victims Productions. Upon solidifying themselves as a quartet, with a love for 80’s thrash and Negan’s barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat in their hearts, Lucille set out to put together the pieces for their debut album, Dawn of Destruction. Will Lucille succeed at expanding the up-and-coming thrash culture in a Polish metal scene dominated by black, death, and Sexmag metal, or should the uprising be squashed with one swift blow to the head?

With a cover evoking Sodom, Dawn of Destruction embodies the 80s-era thrashthetic. Clad in the standard-issue uniform of black leather, bullet belts, boots, and battle vests, Lucille looks the part, and the music is as you’d expect. Downpicked riffs come fast and furious, courtesy of Ramone and K. Dragunov, whose dueling solo work is reminiscent of those classic King/Hanneman battles; the two tearing through this homage to the golden age of thrash with reckless abandon. Foundationally anchored by Matthew’s ever-present, hulking bass lines and Jugen’s traffic-controlling drum work, Lucille presents an above-average grasp of what it takes to recreate the chaotic energy inherent to the early works of Slayer, Megadeth, and Kreator, and more importantly, the chops to execute their vision.

Remnants of Lucille‘s influences inhabit much of Dawn of Destruction. As if swept up from the cutting room floor of the So Far, So Good… So What! sessions, the one-and-a-half minute album opener “Desolate Winds” blows through its superfluous existence before settling into “Brand New World,” a Megadethian tribute full of Mustaine-ic riffs and leads. Likewise is the album title track, “Dawn of Destruction,” with its faux Show No Mercy vibes, or the Pleasure to Killish riffs and speeds of “Genetic Curse,” a reflection of the raw thrash heart Lucille so unapologetically wears on their leathered-up sleeves. A fifth integral component here is Aleksander Hybś’ mix and master, which perfectly captures the rawness of the 80’s thrash movement but manages to wrap it in a modern production that gives the sonic space necessary for the instrumentation to thrive, an element largely missing from albums recorded during the target period. Dawn of Destruction swirls in the past instead of forging a new future but does so with a level of talent that warrants notice.

Much of the make-or-break decision for those listening to Lucille will hinge on the tolerance level for Ramone’s vocal approach. A mix of Kreator‘s Mille Petrozza and Destruction‘s Schmier, Ramone snarls, sneers, and growls his way through Dawn of Destruction‘s nearly 43 minutes, punctuating the performance with plenty of high-pitched screams. I wasn’t particularly bothered by it—there were a few times it distracted—as there’s an unhinged element to his delivery that imparts some nostalgic charm. Still, I could see it being a problem for some listeners. The mercury of modern thrash, however, is definitely in retrograde, as there are few bands truly pushing the thrash envelope in an attempt to create a new space for the genre to thrive and exist. There are so many bands continuing to cash the checks written by forebears as part of the ongoing retro movement that many albums, like Lucille‘s Dawn of Destruction, are as a drop of water in a vast sea of similarity.

Musically tight and capably equipped, Lucille is a young thrash band with enough talent to set themselves apart in an ocean of also-rans, if only slightly. Dawn of Destruction, despite doing nothing to move the genre forward, is more than just a throwaway retread of a bygone era. It’s a legitimate tip of the cap to a time in metal history that saw some of metal’s most influential bands emerge and flourish, a six-pack on a summery Saturday choice for a good time, but not much more. I enjoyed my time with Dawn of Destruction and am anxious to hear what Lucille does next. I’m hopeful they’ll continue to carve out a sound of their own, swinging for the fences with that barbed-wire bat.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 12 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 20, 2025

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