September 18 HardRock Haven published the following review of the D’Ercole debut:{jcomments on}
The gents of D’Ercole have played together for quite a while, combining their efforts on Phil Vincent’s solo efforts as well as the band Tragik. In this incarnation, D’Ercole, you’ll get a decidely more polished and less current-sounding release, as The Art of Self Destruction hearkens back to the days of Scorpions, Dokken and even Journey at times. Melodic, guitar-driven and featuring mammoth choruses, The Art of Self Destruction is a damn fine ride …
Vincent — who owns the claim to fame of writing Hardrock Haven’s theme song — pared back on his responsibilities for this release and focused on just vocals and keyboards, where he typically plays guitar, bass, and everything else. You’ll hear his contributions immediately on “Desperate,” where the flowing keys lead into a heated rhythm from guitarist Damien D’Ercole. Vincent admits that it is hard for him to escape the “you sound like Don Dokken” references, but if true, then Vincent is similar to the Dokken of decades past, not the current one. Not modern sounding in any way, it reminds you of when Melodic Hard Rock ruled the airwaves.
If you don’t hear some Scorpions guitar influences on “The Last Time,” then you just aren’t listening. Read it all here.