Man the Destroyer

Recently while at the Blaze Bayley Show here in Chi-Town, I stumbled across a phenomenal Canadian band called ‘Man The Destroyer’! They both opened for Blaze and shocked the crowd with their own stunning set (that is well worth catching if thy so happen to be in your neck-of-the-woods) as well as provided Mr. Bayley with most of his rhythm section for that evening’s metallic festivities! ...They did not disappoint in any way, shape or form in either of these tasks to put it mild. This is a band that never seemed to tire while the on stage. Heck, ‘Man The Destroyer’ only gained momentum with each crunching hard-hitting-riff while performing! …Put simply: They Rocked!!!

People, I am telling you that this is a band that delivers a great show Live!!! I don’t feel that it’d be right to be stagnant about such an awesomely fantastic act! Give heed: ‘Man The Destroyer’ just may be the next big thing!!!

- Matthew J. P. Gacek on 18th Nov 2011

Man The Destroyer's sound is a hybrid of classic heavy metal and modern hard rock, opening the door for comparisons to Megadeth and Static X, although no one influential force can be pointed to more than any other.
The band's self-titled full-length debut is a rumbling affair that draws inspiration from the fistful of metal spirit of '80s heavy metal while also attending to today's social and political woes. Man The Destroyer - the album - is far more than System of a Down lyrics set to an Anthrax soundtrack, however. Bahramian, the sole lyricist, expresses his dissatisfaction with the geo-political state of affairs on songs like "When Freedom Fails" and "Soldier", though he also tackles subjects of a more personal nature on tracks such as "Wasted Life" and "It Ends With You".
Whether the lyrics are thought-provoking or cliche, it's ultimately the music that makes or breaks an album. Fortunately for Man The Destroyer, their music is what sets them apart from both the retro-thrashers and the modern aggro-screamers. "Wasted Life" leads off Man The Destroyer in fine form, with swirling leads and monster beats reminiscent of thrashy days gone by. There's a bit of an AC/DC groove to the riffs, making for an instant head-bobber, while Bahramian's processed vocals give the song a bit of a fresh sound. The band switches gears on the next track as "When Freedom Fails" boasts a very Mudvayne-esque stop/start riff pattern. The vocals, while still layered, are of the screamed verse - melodic chorus variety. This track is the most "modern" sounding song on the album, however, with most songs able to transcend stylistic boundaries.
"Forever June", espousing those timeless qualities, stands as a highlight of Man The Destroyer. With a sound rooted in both Iron Maiden and Pink Floyd, the song sports subtle atmospheric touches and theatrical vocals as it strolls along, Pena and Bahramian belting out some classic power ballad riffs. "It Ends With You" also ranks as noteworthy because of an almost exclusive reliance on clean vocals as well as an overall '80s melodic rock feel - particularly in the choruses where hints of keys can just be made out. Man The Destroyer closes with the wild instrumental "Something Of That Nature", showcasing MacLean's enjoyable bass lines as well as some very intricate lead guitar work from Pena.
Numerous bands fuse old school metal with bits of what passes for modern metal, which means that Man The Destroyer isn't exactly a revolutionary album. It is, however, a well-executed example of how to meld the two styles into something that truly can appeal to all metal fans both young and old. Thrashy, groovy, melodic, Man The Destroyer delivers.
The album is available at both CD Baby and Amazon.

http://www.examiner.com/x-10109-Lexington-Music-Examiner~y2009m8d21-Album-review-Man-The-Destroyer--st - Dave Knoch

Man the Destroyer: Man the Destroyer
Eclectic Modern Rock/Metal
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Independent/Self-promotion
www.manthedestroyer.com
www.myspace.com/manthedestroyermusic
Review: Craig Hartranft, 09.21.2009

Canadian quartet Man The Destroyer might sound more like 'man the conflicted' thanks to eclectic nature of their debut release. Drawing from roots and influences as diverse as Metallica to Dream Theater to Static X and maybe a nod to fellow compatriots Voivod, MTD sound little like any of those bands. But there is thrash metal, and definitely the obligatory doses of hardcore influenced metal so necessary these days. Actually, and frankly, the only way you're going to appreciate Man the Destroyer is by giving it a thorough listen and withhold judgment until the end.
You will especially need to get over the first to cuts, Wasted Life and When Freedom Fails, which even after repeated listening still came across as warmed over melodic metalcore. But it gets better from here, if not peculiar. What follows appears to have no musical rhyme or reason. A song like It Ends With You begins as modern melodic rock and then turns in upon itself with hardcore vocals. Yet, Forever June and The Hole are mysterious gems that near traditional heavier melodic metal, particularly thrash.
Other songs swing back again to harsher modern metal. What is All Form A Line? Metalcore, or maybe melodic death? It's melodic and has a terrific guitar solo. What about Seven Deadly Sins? Again it weighs in on the side of hardcore with lots of screaming, but has an amazing melodic vocal arrangement and another fine solo in between. Then again Soldier sounds near to black album Metallica, and Something of That Nature lands as a magnificent tribute to traditional melodic thrash metal. Go figure! If there is any constant here, it's the unpredictability in the song compositions, and maybe the recurring use of screamo vocals.
The former quality is what makes MTD's debut a real heavy metal persuader. There's plent going on within this work to push this band toward modern progressive meta, and that's a good thingl. The latter quality of screamo vocals pulls it down into the gutter with the rest of modern metal. Additionally, you'll have to struggle with poor quality mix and the near monotonous sounding nature of the riffing. Overall, however, this is a solid effort and promise of some outstanding things to come from Man The Destroyer
Don't dare pigeonhole Canada's Man The Destroyer. Their version of metal is profound, unpredictable and quite entertaining, even if some elements are not. While their arrangements tend towards creative and progressive metal, they still pander to the current trends of hardcore tainted metal with screamo vocals.
http://www.dangerdog.com/reviews_2009/man-the-destroyer-review.php
- Craig Hartranft

Man The Destroyer's self-titled debut is a combination of metal mixed with both new and old school influences. All the songs "borrow" from a variety of metal bands and genres. I say "borrow" because Man The Destroyer make the sound their own to the point you can't exactly pinpoint who their influences are.

Lyrically Man The Destroyer paints a bleak picture of humanity. With songs about the true cost of freedom, sin and other social commentary, MTD are a band disillusioned and disenfranchised with the world around them.

Anger, frustration and human nature are all constant themes throughout the album. With most albums, these ideas can seem hokey or contrived, but Man The Destroyer attacks them honestly and intelligently.

Standout tracks include "When Freedom Falls," "Forever-June" and "Freak-Out," among 11 tracks of solid metal.

http://www.torontomusicscene.ca/cd-dvd-reviews/cd-review-man-the-destroyer-man-the-destroyer.html - TJ Liebgott

Taking elements of thrash, nu metal and alternative rock, this Toronto based band pack a punch not normally associated with bands from Canada. Not surprisingly Man The Destroyer don’t have a particularly rosy opinion of mankind’s contribution to the world. Lyrically, there’s a lot of disillusionment, dissatisfaction and disaffection (indeed almost any word with the prefix dis-) on the record. It’s designed for uneasy listening. Songs structures are varied so you get heavy thrash guitar and full scream vocal on like of “Wasted Life” and “Seven Deadly Sins”, paranoid sounding industrial metal on “When Freedom Fails” and an almost Pink Floyd feel in the verse of “Forever June”. There’s straight indie rock on “It Ends With You” and punk attitude on “The Hole”. Some riffs have memorable hooks such as “Freakout” but choruses don’t bury so deep, relying often on bludgeoning you over the head with the song title repeatedly in the hopes it sticks. With such variety of influences and styles, there are lots of shades on the album (albeit shades of black) and the band change gears well. However, their diversity could also be their downfall as the indie rock may not be heavy enough for the metal heads and the screaming vocals might alienate the sensitive types. A lot depends on lead singer, rhythm guitarist and lyricist PJ Bahramian if live he has the ability and charisma to pull these different strands together to make it a cohesive whole. - Duncan Jamieson

Okay, without too many fringes : Man The Destroyer was originally formed when Canadian singer/ rhythm guitarist P.J. Bahramian was attending LA’s Music Institute. One of their tasks was to form a band and go out and get gigs, and he’d picked on lead guitarist Don Pena (an American) because his style struck him. Vice versa, Pena got intrigued by P.J.’s ideas (put together on a tape).
So, the two enlisted a bassist and drummer, and MTD ended up playing some of Los Angeles’ more renowned clubs. But when they graduated, P.J.’s visa had also expired, and he had to return home to Toronto! That might’ve been the end, but Pena simply decided to relocate, and with the addition of Australian imigrant Matt Maclean (bass) and Mick Casmi (drums…I guess he’s the Italian imigrant then), and before not too long MTD was playing the more respected clubs in the Toronto area…aided in this by the release of their debut demo-EP Days Of Grey in 2007 and a video for the EP’s track “The Blame”…and by getting awards from Toronto based Exclusive Magazine in the categories “Best Rock Song” (for “The Blame”), “Best Rock Group”, “Best Rock Male Group”, and “Artists Of The Year” in October 2007!!!
The band claims to be inspired musically by anything from the live grit of Guns ‘n’ Roses to Metallica, from Dream Theater to Static X…and have been compared to the likes of Godsmack, and other major label favourites. Vocally, P.J. uses a lot of normal styled singing, and with his specific vocal signature frequently adds a touch of darkness to the whole. Although not a socio-political band as such, the band doés take its name from the individuals in the band having recognized the fact that Man as a species is a being in a (self-)destructive mode, and the band does not shy away from speaking out against some of the things that they see happening around them! After all, that’s one of the freedoms which being in a band gives one, right?
The band have now recorded 11 tracks for their full-length debut (released by the band during May of last) with the aid of producer/ recording engineer Vikas Kohli at Toronto’s Fatlab Studio. Curious what it all sounds like? Check out myspace.com/manthedestroyer (hum…disturbing news came in late September that the band is looking for a new guitarist!), where you can find 3 songs off the album posted!

http://concreteweb.be/reviews/reviews_2009/reviews_26_10_2009/CD/tsm_slw_promotion_3/cdtsm_slw_promotion_3.html
- Tony

It was hot and a bit stuffy inside the Historic El Macombo, but the air was filled with riddled energy. As part of the charged up crowd we sat through several short film screenings view art from upcoming artists and listened to a wide variety of bands, all in anticipation of hearing Man the Destroyer. And we were no disappointed. Their hard hitting, edgy performance was reminiscent of heavy metal bands of the 80’s. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist P.J. Bahramian belted out songs with conviction and raspy undertones. Formed in California at the famous Musicians Institutes (MI) on Hollywood Blvd., and now relocated to Toronto, this band is a blend of hard rock and heavy metal, “ we are inspired by various bands such as Metallica, Guns and Roses, Motley Crew and Red Hot Chile peppers” says P.J.

While relatively new to Toronto fans, Man the Destroyer has played in many well known rock clubs in Hollywood California, including the Knitting Factory, The Joint, and the famous Whiskey. The band has been performing together for three years; Don Pena plays lead guitar as well as backup vocals, and he is also one of the group’s song writers. Matt MacLean plays the bass and Mick Casmi plays the drums, both are new members to the band.
- Expose Entertainment Magazine

By: A. Griffith,
SEPT-OCT 2008 Vol.3 Issue 2

Metal Rock Fest Part Two- rocked the stage at Phoenix Concert Theatre this past summer. This highly anticipated continuation (first installment held at Downsview Park this past June) showcased independent metal rock bands with a lot of talent, personality and attitude. One of our favourites of the evening, and a absolute crowd pleaser was Man the Destroyer (MTD). Expose has a personal affinity of sorts with the band. MTD started at the same time our magazine launched, and we had a chance to view their performance a few years back at the El Mocambo. Since then they have grown into their own sound: The band`s front man PJ has a great octave range- he can go high, low and LOUD! And it certainly keeps the music interesting. MTD performed some of their old stuff like `Day of Grey`(a personal favourite), and touched on a few of their new, fresher and edgier songs. Heavy metal music has not lost its appeal or following. With shows like Metal Rock Fest, bands like MTD will continue to pump out hardcore, head-banging heavy metal to hordes of metal heads.

- Expose Entertainment Magazine

Published: Monday March 26, 07
By: Betty

Where did your band name come from? "Man The Destroyer" is an honest opinion as to what we see ourselves as, and by "ourselves" I mean Mankind. Mankind is nothing but a destroyer in this day and age.

Tell us your story: "Man The Destroyer" was formed in Hollywood California by PJ Bahramian and Don Pena who met in a music school in Hollywood known as "Musicians Institute". PJ was studying vocal technique, performance and Music Theory, and Music Business, and Don Pena was studying Guitar, performance and Music Theory. During their first year at the school, PJ Bahramian was watching a guitar performance workshop while on his break and he noticed a guitar player who was as wild as PJ him self and liked the passion that he displayed. Later PJ approached Don and handed him a demo CD that he had put together with some song Idea's. They immediately started touching up the songs and within a month had put together a full band and "Man The Destroyer" was born. Together they played most of LA's hottest rock clubs such as the legendary Whiskey's, The Cat Club, The Key Club, The Knitting Factory, etc. After finishing their studies at MI, they planed to move the band to Toronto Ontario, hometown of the singer where they had been presented with a promotional deal with the Falcon Group. So in 2006 they made the move to Toronto but unfortunately lost their rhythm section due to the move. It was here where they met Mick Casmi a solid and hard hitting drummer from Australia who made the move to Canada to further his career as a drummer and Matt Maclean, a very talented bassist with the stage performance to go with it.

What are your songs about? We tend to tell stories with our songs. We don't pass judgment but rather observe what is going on and point it out. We believe that if we do our best to point out issues by being as honest as we can be about how we see them happen, the audience will be able to make the judgment them selves. The first step to stopping a problem that exists is realizing that it exists in the first place. We have faith in our fellow man and believe ignorance in just a stage.

Who does the song writing? PJ Bahramian and Don Pena Wright the bulk of the songs, and receive help with the arrangements from the other two members.


Who are your musical influences? This question is perhaps the one that will point out what truly makes our music unique. We all have very different musical influences that seem to share a common ground. For example PJ grew up listening to Guns N Roses, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Megadeth, Alice N chains, Don grew up listening to Death Metal but still was a big fan of Metallica, GNR, Megadeth, Mick was a big 80's "showmen" type of rock such as Kiss, Motley Crew, Skid Row etc., and Matt Maclean was a big fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus etc.

How do you describe your music to people? Honest, raw, with lots and lots of energy.

What image do you think you or your music conveys? The street smart kind of "gritty" image

What are your immediate career goals? Release a music video by the end of summer.

What are your long-term career goals? To have a long and healthy music career as a rock band with the same members. And when I say long I mean for decades. We are not here to be a one hit wonder but rather a life long music success that will allow our fans to grow with us.

Who helps you out? At the moment we have our friends who are of great help to us. For example our website was designed by Lisa Casmi a very good friend of ours (happens to be the wife of our drummer also), Sam Iranpoor who is our photographer (grew up with PJ), and off-course the big man upstairs.

What kind of deal are you looking for? That is a tricky question to answer, LOL. It seems we have to play hard to get with major labels. In the back of our minds we know that it would be a huge push for us to get signed but we understand the Industry and know that sometime you are better of doing it your self if you are capable.

Do you have a demo or press kit, or any promotional materials? We just released our debut EP named "Day of Grey". You can order it online by simply writing to manthedestroyer@hotmail.com for 5$ and must have a paypal account. You can also check out manthedestroyer.com for more merchandise and how to order them.

What live performance experience have you had? Any industry showcases? We where lucky enough to have gone through a music school such as MI where everyday is a live performance experience, it was part of the studies. It was to built endurance, and confidence and technique, and if you where lacking, believe me they would let you know. If you thought the judges at American Idol are tuff, just do a performance workshop at MI. We literally had to perform every day and along with that we where playing real venue outside in the clubs I mentioned every week. Mick and Matt had also had there share of live performance exp, and together here as a full unit we have been very active in Toronto for the past year. So it is safe to say that we are tuned up for a world tour.

Describe your live show: Lots of energy and synergy. We love connecting with the audience and making them move. We give it our all every time and the our major rule within the band is never hold back. Play every show as if it where the Air Canada Center

What's your discography? We produce our own material right now, but we had a lot of help from Soundwave Recording Studios with the mix and mastering.

How did you sell your CD's/Tapes? We like to keep it as simple as possible. If you have a Pay Pall account, all you have to do is first write us an e-mail with you mailing address (where to ship it to), and we will send you a message back saying that we are aware of your order, then you simply send us 5$ (which will go towards further projects) through paypal, and as soon as we get it we will put it in the mail for you. The second option is to check out or website at www.manthedestroyer.com and find out where we are playing live. We will always be selling our cd at shows.

Have you had any previous print or broadcast media exposure or reviews? We have had reviews done by Expose Magazine, Excalibur College Newspaper, and where featured artist on VPZ Radio last month.

Who handles your daily business activities? PJ Bahramian happens to be a graduate of York University Business/Marketing Program and is secretly pursuing his masters. That is our secret weapon. He is very business savvy. He handles all their Bookings, Bookkeeping, promotions, advertising etc. Until we can find a manager we can really trust, PJ Bahramian is the one handling these things.

Any last words: Never give up, never give in



- Wild Child Canada

Published February 21, 2007
By; Jessica Bianchi

Man The Destroyer' frontman PJ Bahramian, has this to say on balancing education and his dream to create his perfect reality. "No matter what, my studies are always going to help my band. Music is my life, it is my livelihood, but it won't get me nowhere unless I have a business background." said Bahramian 27, the lead vocalist and rhythm gutarist for the hard rock band, Man the Destroyer. In 2003, while completing his bachelors in business management here at York University, Bahramian packed up his things and made the move to Hollywood where he enrolled in the Musicians Intitute. There, he studied vocals and guitar and met Don Pena, who would later become lead guitarist for the band. The boys played shows at various venues and created quite a fan base. a disicion, however, was made to move the band to Toronto to avoid what Bahramian calls
"the million band march."
Back in Toronto the boys met two other very important members: Matt Maclean, a bassist from Windsor, ands Mick Casmi, a drummer from Australia. The mixture of powerfull vocals backed by exuberant beats makes up this band's distinct heavy metal sound. Man the Destroyer works to create an authentic sound in attempt to form a connection with the audience and convey a personal message. - Excalibur Newspaper

on Oct 16 2007, Man the Destroyer was awarded best Rock EP by Toronto Exclusive Magazines. They also won best CD Art, and were nominated for Best Rock Song "The Blame", Best Rock Group, Best Rock Male Group, Artist of the year. - Toronto Exclusive Magazine