Destruction (band)
Encyclopedia
Destruction is a German thrash metal
band. They are considered one of the "three kings" of the Teutonic thrash metal
scene, the others being Kreator
and Sodom
. All three of these bands are often credited with helping pioneer death metal, by containing several elements of what was to become the genre.
Destruction were originally named Knight of Demon but changed their name in 1984.
For most of the 1990s, Destruction were not signed to a major record label and was forced to self-produce their albums, until they signed a contract with Nuclear Blast
in the 2000s.
, Mercyful Fate
, Motörhead and Venom
.
Destruction was formed as "Knight of Demon" in 1982. The original line-up featured vocalist and bassist Marcel 'Schmier' Schirmer
, drummer Tommy Sandmann, and guitarist Mike Sifringer. They soon changed their name to "Destruction" and released a demo titled Bestial Invasion of Hell in 1984. After this the group signed with Steamhammer Records and released an EP titled Sentence Of Death later that year.
Destruction released their first full-length album titled Infernal Overkill
in 1985, followed by Eternal Devastation
in 1986. The trio then added a second guitarist, Harry Wilkens, and released the EP Mad Butcher
in 1987, followed by the full length album Release from Agony
in 1988, then a live recording Live Without Sense
in 1989, and Cracked Brain
in 1990. In 1989, Schmier left the band and Mike Sifringer continued to release albums under the moniker of "Neo-Destruction".
In 1999, Schmier rejoined, and things began to look up for the band as they signed a record deal with Nuclear Blast
. They then released three more albums: All Hell Breaks Loose
in 2000, The Antichrist
in 2001, and Metal Discharge
in 2003. The band would then sign with AFM Records
and release Inventor of Evil
in 2005. The band's latest album, Day Of Reckoning
, was released in February 2011.
A European tour with Overkill is scheduled for March 2011. Headlining dates in South America and North America are being planned for April and May.
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band. They are considered one of the "three kings" of the Teutonic thrash metal
Teutonic thrash metal
Teutonic thrash metal is a regional scene of thrash metal music that originated during the 1980s in Germany. Along with Bay Area thrash metal, East Coast thrash metal, and Brazilian thrash metal, it was one of the major scenes of thrash metal in the 1980s....
scene, the others being Kreator
Kreator
Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany, formed in 1978, but formalized in 1982 under the name Tormentor. They originally performed a speed metal style with Venom influences. Their style of music is similar to their compatriots Destruction and Sodom, the other two big German thrash metal...
and Sodom
Sodom (band)
Sodom is a German Thrash metal trio from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981.Along with the bands Kreator and Destruction, Sodom is considered one of the "big three" of Teutonic thrash metal...
. All three of these bands are often credited with helping pioneer death metal, by containing several elements of what was to become the genre.
Destruction were originally named Knight of Demon but changed their name in 1984.
For most of the 1990s, Destruction were not signed to a major record label and was forced to self-produce their albums, until they signed a contract with Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
in the 2000s.
Biography
Inspired by Iron MaidenIron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate was a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen. Initially active from 1981 to 1985, they reunited in 1992. The band went on hiatus again in 2000, when frontman King Diamond decided to continue his solo career...
, Motörhead and Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
.
Destruction was formed as "Knight of Demon" in 1982. The original line-up featured vocalist and bassist Marcel 'Schmier' Schirmer
Marcel Schirmer
Marcel Schirmer, born on December 22, 1966, is a German heavy metal musician. Commonly known as Schmier, he is the founding bassist and vocalist of the thrash metal band Destruction. He left Destruction in 1989 to form Headhunter and reunited with them in 1999. Schmier owned a pizzeria named...
, drummer Tommy Sandmann, and guitarist Mike Sifringer. They soon changed their name to "Destruction" and released a demo titled Bestial Invasion of Hell in 1984. After this the group signed with Steamhammer Records and released an EP titled Sentence Of Death later that year.
Destruction released their first full-length album titled Infernal Overkill
Infernal Overkill
Infernal Overkill is the first full-length album by Destruction. It was released in 1985.-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Destruction...
in 1985, followed by Eternal Devastation
Eternal Devastation
Eternal Devastation is the second full-length album by Destruction. It was released in 1986. It showed the band using more technicality in the songs while retaining the intensity of the music.-Track listing:*All Songs Written & Arranged By Destruction....
in 1986. The trio then added a second guitarist, Harry Wilkens, and released the EP Mad Butcher
Mad Butcher
Mad Butcher, the second Destruction EP, is the fourth official release of the German thrash band Destruction. It was released in 1987 with a new grouping of the band...
in 1987, followed by the full length album Release from Agony
Release from Agony
Release from Agony is the third full-length album by Destruction. It was the first Destruction full-length album to feature four members.-Track listing:*All Songs Written & Arranged By Destruction.# "Beyond Eternity" - 1:11# "Release from Agony" - 4:44...
in 1988, then a live recording Live Without Sense
Live Without Sense
Live Without Sense is a live album by the German thrash metal band Destruction.- Tracklist :# "Curse the Gods" - 5:46# "Unconscious Ruins" - 4:40# "Thrash Attack" - 3:03# "Invincible Force" - 4:13# "Dissatisfied Existence" - 4:10...
in 1989, and Cracked Brain
Cracked Brain
Cracked Brain is the fourth full-length studio album by Destruction. It is the only album of their official discography not to feature Schmier on vocals...
in 1990. In 1989, Schmier left the band and Mike Sifringer continued to release albums under the moniker of "Neo-Destruction".
In 1999, Schmier rejoined, and things began to look up for the band as they signed a record deal with Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
. They then released three more albums: All Hell Breaks Loose
All Hell Breaks Loose (album)
All Hell Breaks Loose is the sixth full-length album by Destruction. It was the first official album made with Schmier returning to vocals since Release from Agony in 1988.-Track listing:# "Intro" - 0:43# "The Final Curtain" - 4:26...
in 2000, The Antichrist
The Antichrist (album)
The Antichrist is the seventh album by the German thrash metal band Destruction. It was released on September 18, 2001. Track order on the back of the CD case is wrong but the order below is correct.-Track listing:...
in 2001, and Metal Discharge
Metal Discharge
-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Schmier & Sifringer, except where noted.# "The Ravenous Beast" 3:09 #"Metal Discharge" 3:26#"Rippin' The Flesh Apart" 5:01#"Fear Of The Moment" 3:34#"Mortal Remains" 4:11...
in 2003. The band would then sign with AFM Records
AFM Records
AFM-Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator....
and release Inventor of Evil
Inventor of Evil
Inventor of Evil is the ninth full-length album by the German thrash metal band Destruction, released in 2005.- Track listing :- Personnel :*Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer – bass, vocals*Mike Sifringer – guitar*Marc Reign – drums*Maxine C...
in 2005. The band's latest album, Day Of Reckoning
Day of reckoning
Day of reckoning is a term used to describe the Last Judgment in Christian belief.Day of Reckoning may also refer to:-In music:*Day of Reckoning a 2011 studio album by Destruction...
, was released in February 2011.
A European tour with Overkill is scheduled for March 2011. Headlining dates in South America and North America are being planned for April and May.
Current members
- Vocals, Bass: Schmier (1983–1989, 1999–Present)
- Guitars: Mike Sifringer (1983–Present)
- Drums: Vaaver (Wawrzyniec Dramowicz) (2010–Present)
Former members
- Vocals: André Grieder (1990)
- Vocals: Thomas Rosenmerkel (1993–1999)
- Guitars: Harry Wilkens (1987–1990)
- Guitars: Michael 'Ano' Piranio (1993–1999)
- Drums: Tommy Sandmann (1983–1987)
- Drums: Oliver 'Olly' Kaiser (1987–1999)
- Drums: Sven Vormann (1999–2002)
- Drums: Marc Reign (2002–2010)
Guest musicians
- Vocals: Peter TägtgrenPeter TägtgrenAlf Peter Tägtgren is a Swedish musician and producer. He is the founder, main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the death metal band Hypocrisy as well as the industrial metal band PAIN in which he is the only member....
(2000)
Tägtgren appeared with Schmier on the track Total Desaster 2000 from the All Hell Breaks Loose album.
- Vocals: Peter 'Biff' ByfordBiff ByfordPeter Rodney "Biff" Byford is an English rock singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Saxon. Byford formed Son of a Bitch with guitarists Graham Oliver and Paul Quinn, bassist Steve Dawson and drummer Pete Gill in 1976...
(2005) - Vocals: Doro PeschDoro (musician)Dorothee Pesch , popularly known as Doro Pesch or Doro, is a female rock vocalist, formerly of the German heavy metal band Warlock ....
(2005) - Vocals: Stian 'Shagrath' ThorensenShagrathShagrath is a Norwegian musician best known as the vocalist of Dimmu Borgir.-Biography:Stian Thoresen was born on November 18, 1976 in Jessheim, outside of Oslo, Norway....
(2005) - Vocals: Björn 'Speed' Strid (2005)
- Vocals: Paul DiannoPaul Di'AnnoPaul Andrews , better known as Paul Di'Anno, is an English singer best known as the first vocalist to record with the iconic heavy metal band Iron Maiden, from 1978 to 1981....
(2005) - Vocals: Messiah MarcolinMessiah MarcolinMessiah Marcolin , also known as 'Eddie Marcolin', is a vocalist best known for his work in the doom metal band Candlemass.-1984-1985:...
(2005) - Vocals: Mark Osegueda (2005)
- Vocals: Peter 'Peavy' WagnerPeavy WagnerPeter "Peavy" Wagner is a German heavy metal musician. He is best known for being singer and bassist of the band Rage.- Biography :...
(2005) - Vocals: Peter TägtgrenPeter TägtgrenAlf Peter Tägtgren is a Swedish musician and producer. He is the founder, main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the death metal band Hypocrisy as well as the industrial metal band PAIN in which he is the only member....
(2005)
All of these artists, with Schmier, were featured on the same song, 2005's "The Alliance of Hellhoundz", from the Inventor of EvilInventor of EvilInventor of Evil is the ninth full-length album by the German thrash metal band Destruction, released in 2005.- Track listing :- Personnel :*Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer – bass, vocals*Mike Sifringer – guitar*Marc Reign – drums*Maxine C...
album.
- Vocals: Peter 'Peavy' WagnerPeavy WagnerPeter "Peavy" Wagner is a German heavy metal musician. He is best known for being singer and bassist of the band Rage.- Biography :...
(2007) - Vocals: Oddleif StenslandOddleif StenslandOddleif Stensland is the vocalist and guitarist of Norwegian progressive/power metal band Communic.Stensland appeared on the 2007 Nuclear Blast All-Stars album, which celebrated the 20th anniversary of Nuclear Blast Records....
(2007) - Vocals: Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth (2007)
- Vocals: Tom 'Angelripper' SuchTom AngelripperTom Angelripper is the founding member and main songwriter of the German thrash metal band Sodom.- Biography :...
(2007)
All of these artists, with Schmier, appeared at the Wacken Open-Air Festival in 2007 on the track The Alliance of Hellhoundz, recorded for the 2009 live album The Curse of The Antichrist: Live In Agony.
- Guitar: Ol DrakeOl DrakeOl Drake is the lead guitarist of English thrash metal group, Evile.-Biography:...
(live 2009, studio 2011)
EvileEvileEvile is a thrash metal band from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. Their debut album, Enter the Grave, was produced by Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark and was released worldwide in 2007 by Earache Records to critical acclaim by fans and critics...
guitarist, he played the Caos Emergent Festival in Portugal on September 13, as a replacement for Mike Sifringer who broke two fingers in Belgium at the Vlamrock Festival on August 29.
Then went on to play as Destruction's second guitarist as a guest onstage at Damnation Festival.
Following this, Drake was invited to play some solos and melodies on the 2011 album Day of Reckoning
Studio albums
- Infernal OverkillInfernal OverkillInfernal Overkill is the first full-length album by Destruction. It was released in 1985.-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Destruction...
(1985) - Eternal DevastationEternal DevastationEternal Devastation is the second full-length album by Destruction. It was released in 1986. It showed the band using more technicality in the songs while retaining the intensity of the music.-Track listing:*All Songs Written & Arranged By Destruction....
(1986) - Release from AgonyRelease from AgonyRelease from Agony is the third full-length album by Destruction. It was the first Destruction full-length album to feature four members.-Track listing:*All Songs Written & Arranged By Destruction.# "Beyond Eternity" - 1:11# "Release from Agony" - 4:44...
(1988) - Cracked BrainCracked BrainCracked Brain is the fourth full-length studio album by Destruction. It is the only album of their official discography not to feature Schmier on vocals...
(1990) - The Least Successful Human CannonballThe Least Successful Human CannonballThe Least Successful Human Cannonball is the fifth full-length album by Destruction. It was the final album made with Thomas Rosenmerkel on vocals, thus ending the "Neo-Destruction" period...
(1998) - All Hell Breaks LooseAll Hell Breaks Loose (album)All Hell Breaks Loose is the sixth full-length album by Destruction. It was the first official album made with Schmier returning to vocals since Release from Agony in 1988.-Track listing:# "Intro" - 0:43# "The Final Curtain" - 4:26...
(2000) - The AntichristThe Antichrist (album)The Antichrist is the seventh album by the German thrash metal band Destruction. It was released on September 18, 2001. Track order on the back of the CD case is wrong but the order below is correct.-Track listing:...
(2001) - Metal DischargeMetal Discharge-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Schmier & Sifringer, except where noted.# "The Ravenous Beast" 3:09 #"Metal Discharge" 3:26#"Rippin' The Flesh Apart" 5:01#"Fear Of The Moment" 3:34#"Mortal Remains" 4:11...
(2003) - Inventor of EvilInventor of EvilInventor of Evil is the ninth full-length album by the German thrash metal band Destruction, released in 2005.- Track listing :- Personnel :*Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer – bass, vocals*Mike Sifringer – guitar*Marc Reign – drums*Maxine C...
(2005) - D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. is the tenth studio album by German thrash metal band Destruction. The album was released on August 29, 2008 by AFM Records worldwide and Candlelight Records in the United States....
(2008) - Day of ReckoningDay of Reckoning (Destruction album)Day Of Reckoning is the 11th studio album by German thrash metal band Destruction. It was released on 18 February 2011 in Europe and 8 March 2011 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records...
(2011)
EPs
- Sentence of DeathSentence of DeathSentence of Death is the first official EP release by the German thrash metal band Destruction. It was released in Germany during 1984, and then released in North America during 1985...
(1984) - Mad ButcherMad ButcherMad Butcher, the second Destruction EP, is the fourth official release of the German thrash band Destruction. It was released in 1987 with a new grouping of the band...
(1987) - Destruction (1993)
- Them Not Me (1995)
Live albums
- Live Without SenseLive Without SenseLive Without Sense is a live album by the German thrash metal band Destruction.- Tracklist :# "Curse the Gods" - 5:46# "Unconscious Ruins" - 4:40# "Thrash Attack" - 3:03# "Invincible Force" - 4:13# "Dissatisfied Existence" - 4:10...
(1988/1989) - Alive Devastation (2002)
- The Curse of The Antichrist: Live In Agony (2009)
DVDs
- Alive Devastation (2002)
- Live Discharge (2004)
- A Savage Symphony - The History of Annihilation (2010)
Demos
- Bestial Invasion Of Hell (1984)
- The Butcher Strikes Back (1999)