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Destruction - Biography


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1983-

Biography

This history starts back in 1983. Guitar player Michael "Mike" Sifringer is searching for a bass player, after he invited singer Ulf and drummer Thomas "Tommy" Sandmann to build a band up. There aren't many metalheads in this area, but they find Marcel Schirmer. They know each other, because the drank some beer at a disco at weekends. The only problem is that he never ever touched e bass. But to join the band, Marcel buys a bass and Mike shows him some tricks to play. At this time the name of the band is "Knight Of Demon" and the music style is an Iron Maiden-esque sound. This changes within weeks and Venom gets the biggest influence. As the old name doesn't fit anymore, they change it to "Destruction".
After writing some songs these four guys plan to enter a studio to record the first demo. But only two weeks before this date Mike and Ulf quarrel over a woman. The clash ends up in kicking Ulf out of the band. Only having 2 weeks to find a new singer is impossible and so Marcel is forced to sing.
After the recording of "Bestial Invasion Of Hell" the three members left are very happy with their work and want to paint the bandlogo on their jackets. Singer Marcel doesn't work very accurately and so the colour is smearing. The german word for this is "Schmier" and from this day on he was called Schmier for always and forever.

In The year 1984 the band has its first live gig in Altenessen together with Sodom, Iron Angel and Tormentor (later called Kreator).

In the same year the band released their first EP "Sentence of Death". This was just the right thing at the right time. It was the heaviest piece of music released till that day and it's no wonder, that the band became "Newcomer of The Year" in a poll of the Metal Hammer. The US cover shows another picture, because Metal Blade didn't like the original band picture.

One year later the band has some gigs on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The biggest one is in Canada at the World War III-festival together Nasty Savage, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Voivod and Hallow's Eve in front of 3000-5000 people.

In the 1985 the first album "Infernal Overkill" is released, which becomes "Album Of The Year" voted by the Metal Hammer-readers. The following tour gets Destruction together with Slayer for ten gigs on the road.

1986 is the year of the release of "Eternal Devastation" with the first technical experiments.

The band gets more and more fans and the reviews are always fine. The band gets bigger and bigger; too big for Tommy. Like all other members he has a apprenticeship and decides to go a safe way. He still works as a policeman.

One more time the band is facing a problem with because of a leaving member. The dates for the Eternal Devastation-tour are confirmed and they don't have a drummer. Christian "Chris Witchhunter" Dudek from Sodom solves this problem by playing drums on this tour. He won't become a member of the band.
After the tour Harald "Harry" Wilkens is a new member. He is playing the second guitar. The new member on the drums is Oliver "Olly" Kaiser, coming out of jazz music.
Playing as a quartet the band releases the "Mad Butcher"-EP in the year 1987. With the new members the music gets more and more technical with its peak "The last Judgement"; a track, Harry can show his skills.

One year later "Release From Agony" is released. The whole album is very progressive and shows the technical perfection of the people on the instruments. The problem is, that there ain't much space for Schmier and his voice. Althoug he isn't very happy with the record, the album is released as it is produced. Especially in Japan and the USA the album gets very good critics, but not in their home country Germany.

The band is touring during the change of the year 1987 to 1988. On this tour the band records the livealbum "Live - Without Sense". Most of the gigs the band shares the stage together with Motörhead. From 1988 to 1989 the band is going for some appearances to the USA, where they tour together with the Cro-Mags.

In 1989 the record-session for the new album "Cracked Brain" is arranged. The first demos show, that this music again is very technical. Schmier doesn't like this direction but is the only one with this opinion. In consequence the band dies the worst thing they could do: They kick Schmier out of the band.
The band is in an extremely expensive studio and doesn't have a singer. The record company proposes Robert Cornella, singer of Assassin, to become new singer, but the band says, that his style doesn't fit to the music. In the end Andre Grieder, singer of Poltergeist, is the follower of Schmier.
As Andre only had the job to sing for the new album, the band searches again for a news singer after releasing "Cracked Brain", to gon on tour together with Sodom. There are discussions with Flemming Ronsdorf from Artillery, but the tour gets cancelled.

The first time after a long time you will hear something from destruction is in the year 1994. The band doesn't have a record company and there are only two members left from the Cracked Brain-sessions: Mike and Olly. The bass is played by Christian Engler, who did some little parts on "Cracked Brain". Michael Piranio is playing the guitar and Thomas Rosenmerkel is the new singer. These two musicians played together with the later ex-drummer from Destruction Sven Vormann in a band called "Jesus Chrysler Superskunk".

Harry isn't in the band at this time and works today as video producer at a swiss TV-channel.

This constellation released two more outputs: The "Them Not Me"-EP is from the year 1995 and the "The Least Successful Human Cannonball"-Album is from the year 1998.

Although these albums aren't very successful, Mike does his own thing. But the longer the split-up with Schmier lies ahead, the more fans ask Mike and Schmier to come together again.
Schmier founded his own band Headhunter after getting kicked out of Destruction, Headhunter, but after having not so much success, he is running a bistro at this time.
Because of juristic topics Mike and Schmier have to talk to each other. Because there are many rumours in the air, there are the first offers from big festivals telling them, that they can play if there will happen a reunion.
Both think about trying it and meet for a rehearsel. After drinking some beer together Schmier and Mike see, that there's a chance for it and they accept to play at the "Bang Your Head", Wacken Open Air" and "With Full Force" with a new drummer: Sven Vormann.
Olly today is professor of musicology and plays in a jazz fusion-band.

After those gigs the feedback amazing. Both fans and press say, that this band will have a big future again. Peter Tägtgren even begs on his knees to get the chance and produce a new album.
After signing a contract with Nuclear Blast, the band enters Tägtgren's Abyss Studio to record the albu, the fans have been waiting for ten years: "All Hell Breaks Loose". The reactions from the press and the fans are enthusiastic, because the album is "back to the roots" but also has fresh inputs for the Thrash Metal-scene, which was said to be dead and now was promised to resurge again.

In the year 2001 the band again enters Peter Tägtgren's studio to record "The Antichrist", which got even better reactions.
At the end of the year the band starts a tour of the big three of German Thrash Metal, together with Sodom and Kreator.

Destruction decided, that the third release after the reunion had to be quite different. They didn't want to walk a safe way and changed the studio and the producer. They recorded "Metal Discharge" in the year 2003 together with V.O. Pulver in his Little Creek Studio in Switzerland. The whole record is based on analog technique, giving it a more warm touch, without leaving the aggressions.
Drummer Sven decided to leave the band before this session. As Destruction is a heavily touring band, he didn't have enough time for himself and thought, that this was the right decision for him.
Markus "Marc Reign" Reincke ist he man who gets the popular job playing drums for Destruction. He is a friend of Schmier's friends and so they got in contact.

One year later the first DVD, embracing the whole history of Destruction, is released. Its name is "Live Discharge - 20 Years Of Total Destruction" giving the fans tons of live music, interviews and backgrounds.

Only one year later the next album "Inventor Of Evil" is arranged. It is recorded in studios in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland and combines the essence of the earlier releases including V.O. Pulver and Peter Tägtgren.
On this album you can find something very special, the world hasn't seen before: The band invited nine big names of the metal-scene to sing a part of the song "The Alliance of Hellhoundz". These guests are Peter Tägtgren, Biff Byford from Saxon, Peavy Wagner from Rage, Doro Pesch, Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir, Mark Osegueda fromDeath Angel, Björn "Speed" Strid from Soilwork, Paul Di Anno, Ex-Iron Maiden and Messiah Marcolin, Ex-Candlemass.
There were plans with even more singers, but Udo Dirkschneider from U.D.O., Warrel Dane from Nevermore, Cronos from Venom and Kai Hainsen from Gamma Ray didn't have time to join.

In October and November 2006 Destruction enter the studio to rerecord all the hymns they wrote in the last more than 20 years. It is the first time to hear songs from "Cracked Brain" with the voice of Schmier and two new songs, which are quite unusual for this band. The full-length has the adequate title "Thrash Anthems". Just like on the last record, Harry Wilkens again shows his skills on the tracks "Release From Agony" and "Cracked Brain". The Release is in the beginning of 2007.

The definite highlight of this year is the gig at the Wacken Open Air. As usual many guests appear on stage to perform "The Alliance of Hellhoundz" together with the band. But not only people from other bands join on stage. Also many former members from Destruction come on stage and in the end of the concert there are even 3 drummers playing live.

In the year 2008 the band goes again in studio together witch Jacob Hansen to record "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.". It is released on august, 29th and as always, Destruction has some special gimmicks for the fans. Again some guests appear on this record. This time they are famous guitar players supporting Mike with some solos. These guests are Gary Holt from Exodus, Vinnie Moore from UFO and Jeff Waters from Annihilator.
Also there will be very special package for the first people buying the album, containing "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N." as digipak, "Thrash Anthems" as digipak, a flag with the cover of "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.", spike-belt with Destruction-logo on the back and in the front, stickers, autograph card and as a big special a army combat bag with big bandlogo.

In 2011, the band returns to Nuclear Blast Records with the release of "Day of Reckoning", which will be released worldwide in March. 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.