Destruction

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE AGAIN!

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/BASSIST SCHMIER OF DESTRUCTION BY VERA (August 2005)

Between 1984 and 1989 Destruction released a number of albums that brought them to the top of the (German) thrash metal scene. Together with fellow countrymen Kreator they harvested worldwide respect in the thrash scene. Chopping guitars, biting vocals and a lot of fun were the usual features of this sympathetic but oh so ‘evil’ Southwest German band. During the nineties it all went a bit wrong, but since the new millennium Schmier, Mike and once again another drummer (Marc) strike back with excellent albums. The subsequent album of ‘Metal Discharge’ and the ‘Live Discharge’ DVD is in stores now, the ‘Inventors Of Evil’ are back and it is high time to have a nice talk with the good-looking vocalist/bassist of this trio: Schmier.

‘Inventor of Evil’ is the first CD since the live DVD. Does it mean that a chapter was closed with the DVD and you start a new chapter now?

I would not see it exactly that way, but it was a DVD for our 20^th anniversary. We thought to celebrate that with a DVD and just go on then, not a new chapter at all. We took a bit more time for this album, just to make sure it would be a good one.

Destruction started way back in the eighties with a kind of brutal metal one would call thrash metal. Don’t you feel like being the inventors of that style?

Maybe… It seems like, yeah. But it is something you are not aware of when it happens. Just afterwards, many years later, we were one of the first bands playing that kind of music in Europe and maybe we influenced a lot of bands who intend to play extreme music. We were lucky to be that early haha.

On the new album we have a kind of metal anthem ‘The Alliance Of Hellhoundz’. I think that’s a special one…

It is yes. It is all for unity in the metal scene. There are so many sub genres in metal these days and they all fight each other. That’s why we tried to get metal singers from different styles in the song. Like heroes from the past like Biff from Saxon and Paul Di’Anno, my favourite singer and we also have some new singers like Speed from Soilwork and Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir.

How did you manage to do that?

We call somebody up or you meet someone in the dressing room, just go for it, you know. It took some time to get everything around, but I managed it and I’m glad for it, because hope is something important in our lives and unity in the metal scene is one of the things I can work on. Besides that I think it will be a great live track.

That brings us on the subject of touring. Quite some gigs are planned in autumn I guess?

Yes, we start with a big tour in September in South America, then North America and a big European tour in November. But now we are travelling to do some promo.

You even played in Israel. Wasn’t that dangerous?

No, the show was really great and they were happy we came over; there is a huge metal scene over there, old and young people are into metal. It was really cool. We had a good time and of course it was a little bit strange. I know what you mean, about the bomb attacks and so, but there wasn’t a bomb attack in Tel Aviv for two years, so… but these days it can happen everywhere.

The album was recorded in three studios. Can you tell a bit more about that?

We started with the drums in Germany. Then we went to Switzerland to record the bass and the basic tracks and guitars and then we went to Sweden where Peter Tägtgren mixed the album at the Abyss studio. He has a lot of experience and he was the best to do the mix of the new album as well. He is like a friend and it is always great to work with friends.

How did you ever meet him?

We met a couple of years ago at a festival. Destruction was playing there and Hypocrisy too.

Are there some mellow parts on the album or is it a massive thrash attack?

It is definitely a massive thrash attack, but we have tried to add some depth, we have some more dynamics and acoustic guitar parts on it. But basically the album is right in your face of course. We’re supposed to be.

In September you also go to Tokyo. Have you been there before?

Yes, we have two shows in Tokyo. I have been there three times. I love Japan. There is a big difference. The whole culture is different. It was a nice experience.

It seems that Japanese fans are calm and wait until the song is over to show their excitement…

Oh no; these days are over. They were all moshing and stage diving, I guess they are as crazy as everyone in the world. I talked about the circumstances when you’re there, the whole culture, that’s something special.

And do you have time to visit some beautiful places when you’re there?

Not really, most of the time not. But of course we try. This time we also play a third concert in Japan, so we won’t have much time, but I was in Kyoto before and visited the antique city, that’s very nice.

When we go back in time, we see six years of activity, until 1989. Then we have almost ten years of silence and returned to the scene in 2000. What did you do in those years?

It was actually in 1999 we reunited and the album came out in 2000. In those years I played in a band called Headhunter in the nineties. Also I opened up a restaurant for eight, nine years.

As a matter of facts Schmier just sold it when I talked to him. It was getting too busy with Destruction again, too much work. It was situated in Germany near the Swiss border.

What was the significant fact to start the band again?

The demand of the fans actually. When you hear it every fucking day, when you go out or to a show and people keep saying: “Schmier, we want Destruction again”, then one day, when it happens all the time, you start to think about it, you know. The fans really wanted it, it was big fun to do and now the band is as sure as before. Six years have passed since the reunion, a new album is coming out and everything looks fine.

I think you and Mike are pretty close to each other after all these years…

Yes, we’ve known each other for a long time and we are the main songwriters.

Since ‘Metal Discharge’ you have got a new drummer Marc. Does he contribute to the song-writing too?

No, he is free to play of course, but writing songs is Mike’s and my job. I always do the lyrics, because I think as a singer, that’s the best way to work.

Maybe some comments on those lyrics…

Everybody should listen to the songs and have their own interpretation. Definitely ‘Alliance Of Hellhoundz‘ is a song that has some good lyrics to think about the unity in metal and all the other lyrics are about things that happen around me, from everyday life experiences.

There is also a limited edition digipack coming up. Can you tell anything about that?

There are some bonus tracks on it, like a cover version of Motorhead’s ‘We Are The Road Crew’ and ‘Alliance Of Hellhoundz’ as first version with just my vocals. There will be a videoclip about the making of the album and a live track of ‘Soulcollector’. Further some wallpaper stuff and so. It has some good extras. And there will be more pages in the booklet. It definitely is worth paying one euro more. (laughs)

Are there plans to make a video clip of one of the songs?

Yes, we are working on that. For ‘Alliance Of Hellhoundz’ because it is the most specific item to do.

You have a new label?

Yes, AFM Records. We used to be on Nuclear Blast and they did a great job for us, but they are getting really big at the moment. We need a label that can offer us full support during a long distance, you know. And since Nuclear Blast is really big and they have many bands, they don’t have that much time for their bands. And we need full support to get the best we can do when we release an album. We are working and talking for five months on the album before the release now and you can only do that with a label when you are a top priority band. That’s why we changed label. I mean, Nuclear Blast is a great label, but they are huge.

Big tours are coming up in Autumn and Winter. Check out the excellent thrash album ‘Inventor Of Evil’ and don’t miss Destruction when they play in the neighbourhood! These sympathetic guys will give you a massive thrash injection!


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