Destruction

DESTRUCTION(毁灭)欧洲最有影响力的Thrash Metal(鞭鞑金属)乐队，80年代初期，他们的音乐风格、舞台形象、歌词内容都已经涉及到了现在所谓“极端金属”的概念。
 
从首张EP唱片Sentence Of Death（判死刑）一路狂飙，特别是Infernal Overkill（地狱大屠杀）、Eternal Devastation（永恒毁灭），赢得了来自全球每个角落的追随者与忠实的歌迷的支持。从1983年开始到1989年的6年中，他们经历了所有的辉煌。世界最顶级金属乐队的待遇、全球巡回演出、被人津津乐道的唱片、数以百万的唱片销量以及无数歌迷的拥戴。DESTRUCTION再第一极端发表的唱片和相关作品可谓是“启蒙”。他们的音乐和当时远在美国的乐队遥相呼应，共同打开了80年代Thrash Metal的辉煌时代！对九十年代无数向往黑暗和极端的金属乐队造成了深远影响。很多评论人因此也喜欢把他们与SODOM、KREATOR并称德国“激流/死亡金属三巨头”。
 
* * *
 
Destruction are 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 black 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 were forced to self-produce their albums until they signed a contract with Nuclear Blast in the 2000s.
 
Inspired by Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Motörhead and Venom, Destruction were 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. In February 2011, Destruction released Day of Reckoning.
 
A European tour with Overkill was scheduled for March 2011. Headlining dates in South America and North America were being planned for April and May.
 
The band's latest album, Spiritual Genocide, was released in November 23, 2012.
 
(wiki)
 
* * *
 
by Eduardo Rivadavia
 
Together with their countrymen Kreator and Sodom, Germany's Destruction constituted the dominating triumvirate of Teutonic thrash metal during the 1980s. And even though they ultimately failed to match these peers in terms of commercial success and longevity, at least two of their albums still qualify among the crème de la crème of the decade's speed metal. Heavy metal underwent a worldwide revolution in the early '80s, when the lingering lessons from '70s giants like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest crashed head-on with the D.I.Y. ethos of punk rock and the sheer velocity of Motörhead to spawn the much ballyhooed New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which, in turn sparked a far more powerful and lasting bastard offspring: thrash metal. Of all the nations contaminated by this musical virus as it proliferated unchecked, Germany was second only to the U.S. in terms of widespread infection.
 
Among its earliest contenders, there was Hamburg's Helloween, Essen's Kreator, and, from the town of Weil am Rhein in the Fatherland's southwestern tip, Destruction. Formed in 1983 from the remnants of an earlier band named Knight of Demon, Destruction brought together towering vocalist/bassist Marcel Schirmer (aka Schmier), diminutive guitarist Mike Sifringer, and drummer Tommy Sandmann. Looking to take advantage of the bustling worldwide tape-trading network responsible for breaking most of the '80s biggest heavy metal bands, the trio immediately set about recording and circulating its Bestial Invasion demo to critics and fans alike. It wasn't long before Germany's own Steamhammer label came calling with a record deal, and Destruction's Sentence of Death EP was released in 1984, soon to be followed by 1985's Infernal Overkill LP. Both of these were surprisingly proficient affairs fueled by raw aggression and youthful energy, and Destruction toured Germany with Slayer later that year, before taking part in the legendary WWIII Festival in Montreal, Canada, alongside Celtic Frost, Voivod, and other rising stars of extreme metal.
 
Eternal Devastation Once they returned home, the bandmembers got to work on their second album, 1986's well-received Eternal Devastation, but lost founding drummer Sandmann shortly before heading out on the road again, this time with fellow Teutonic thrashers Rage. Thankfully, Sodom's Chris &Witchhunter& Dudeck was able to step in until they could find a permanent replacement in Oliver Kaiser. Additional guitarist Harry Wilkens was also brought on board at this time, and, after testing this new lineup on 1987's Mad Butcher EP, Destruction delivered what many consider their finest album, 1988's Release from Agony. Not all fans were in agreement, however, as the newfangled quartet's far more technical, almost progressive-leaning direction also rubbed hardcore constituents the wrong way. Being chosen as the opening band for Celtic Frost's disastrous Cold Lake tour was another unexpected setback, and, confirming that things were not right within the Destruction camp, popular frontman Schmier was unceremoniously sacked shortly after the release of 1989's Live Without Sense to make way for &more capable& replacements in vocalist Andre Grieder (ex-Poltergeist) and bassist Christian Engler.
 
Cracked Brain Feeling betrayed, upset fans made their feelings known by staying away in droves from 1990's Cracked Brain album, as well as subsequent offerings like 1994's Destruction, 1995's Them Not Me (both EPs introducing new vocalist Thomas Rosenmerkel and guitarist Michael Piranio), and particularly 1998's career low The Least Successful Human Cannonball. Schmier, in the meantime, had formed a new band called Headhunter and busied himself with the operation of his own restaurant -- but he couldn't resist the opportunity to finally reunite with former partner in crime Sifringer as well as drummer Sven Vormann, and relaunch Destruction at the dawn of the new millennium. Since then, 2000's All Hell Breaks Loose, 2001's The Antichrist, and 2003's Metal Discharge (featuring drummer Marc Reign) have been released by Nuclear Blast, and 2005's Inventor of Evil and 2007's Thrash Anthems by AFM Records.