Destruction Unit

Destruction Unit

Destruction Unit is a US garage punk band from Phoenix, Arizona, active since 2000. The group is built around Ryan Rousseau, who has also played in Reatards, The Wongs and Tokyo Electron. Its sound is described as psychedelic noise punk, with garage punk, noise rock, punk, psychedelic and synth punk all associated with the band.

Formation and early releases

The band forms in the early 2000s around Rousseau, with Jay Reatard of Reatards, Lost Sounds and Angry Angles, and Alicja Trout of Lost Sounds and Black Sunday also involved in its early lineup. The three appear together on the band’s first release, My Disease, a 7-inch from 2000. They also appear on the 2006 record Death To The Old Flesh and on the band’s debut LP, Self Destruction of a Man.

Line-up

The current line-up includes R. Rousseau on guitar and vocals, Rusty Rousseau of Digital Leather on bass, N. Nappa of Marshstepper and Nihilism on guitar, J. Aurelius of Pigeon Religion, Avon Ladies and Marshstepper on guitar, and Andrew Flores, also known as Jock Club, on drums. J. Keefer, formerly of Naive, is listed as a former drummer.

Style and reputation

Destruction Unit develops a reputation for extremely loud performances and unruly behaviour. Its music is described as heavy on distortion, with guitars treated as noise sources as much as instruments. The band is also compared to a mix of Suicide, Chrome, Hawkwind, the Screamers and The Twilight Zone, and is described simply as punk rock in one account.

Other releases and label

The band appears on The Necessary Effect: Screamers Songs Interpreted, a Screamers tribute release. It is on Sacred Bones Records.