Destruction

Destruction is a German thrash metal band from Weil am Rhein, Germany. It forms in 1983 and is active to the present day. The group is associated with metal and thrash metal, and is often grouped with the German thrash metal scene.

Origins and early line-up

The band begins under the name Knight of Demon and is initially influenced by Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Motörhead and Venom. The original line-up includes Ulf Kühne on vocals, Mike Sifringer on guitar, Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer on bass and Tommy Sandmann on drums. Kühne is later dismissed after internal conflict, Schirmer moves to vocals, and the band takes the name Destruction.

Its early material includes the demo Bestial Invasion of Hell, followed by the EP Sentence of Death. The debut album Infernal Overkill appears in 1985, followed by Eternal Devastation in 1986.

1980s releases and touring

Destruction later expands to a four-piece with second guitarist Harry Wilkens and drummer Oliver Kaiser replacing Tommy Sandmann. This line-up records the EP Mad Butcher and the album Release from Agony, both in 1987, and the live album Live Without Sense in 1989. During this period the band tours widely in Europe and North America and performs with acts including Venom, Slayer, Kreator, Sodom, Celtic Frost, Motörhead, King Diamond, Voivod, Exodus, Testament, Overkill, Death Angel, Possessed, Sacred Reich, The Cro-Mags, Tankard, Flotsam and Jetsam, Artillery, Rage, Coroner, Assassin, Candlemass, Prong, Accu§er, Iron Angel, Wolfsbane and Girlschool.

During the recording of Cracked Brain, Schirmer leaves and André Grieder of Poltergeist takes over vocals. Released in 1990, it is the only Destruction album with Grieder as singer.

Neo-Destruction and return to the name Destruction

After Cracked Brain, Mike Sifringer continues the project as Neo-Destruction with Thomas Rosenmerkel on vocals, Michael Piranio on guitar, Christian Engler on bass and Oliver Kaiser on drums. This period produces the self-titled EP Destruction in 1994, the EP Them Not Me in 1995 and the album The Least Successful Human Cannonball in 1998.

In 1999 the line-up dissolves and Schirmer returns, with the band reforming as a trio with drummer Sven Vormann. It signs with Nuclear Blast and releases All Hell Breaks Loose in 2000, The Antichrist in 2001 and Metal Discharge in 2003. Marc Reign replaces Vormann during this period.

2000s and 2010s activity

The band releases the live album Alive Devastation and the DVD Live Discharge: 20 Years of Total Destruction in 2003 and 2004. It performs at Wacken Open Air in 2002 and again in 2007. The band later signs with AFM Records and issues Inventor of Evil in 2005, followed by the compilation Thrash Anthems in 2007, which contains re-recorded versions of earlier songs.

Further releases include D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. in 2008, The Curse of the Antichrist: Live in Agony in 2009, A Savage Symphony - The History of Annihilation in 2010, Day of Reckoning in 2011, Spiritual Genocide in 2012 and Under Attack in 2016.

Drummer Marc Reign leaves in 2010 and Wawrzyniec “Vaaver” Dramowicz joins, later leaving in 2018 and being temporarily replaced by Randy Black before returning. In 2017 the band releases Thrash Anthems II, funded through a PledgeMusic campaign. Guitarist Damir Eskic joins in 2019.

Recent releases and line-up changes

With this line-up, Destruction records Born to Perish, released in 2019, followed by the live album Born to Thrash in 2020. The band performs at the Area 53 Festival in 2021 without Mike Sifringer, and his departure is later confirmed. Martin Furia replaces him, and the single “State of Apathy” is issued with Furia. The live album Live Attack also appears in 2021.

The album Diabolical is released in 2022, marking the band’s 40th anniversary. The band tours in 2023, appears at Klash of the Ruhrpott in 2024 alongside Kreator, Sodom and Tankard, and releases the single “No Kings - No Masters” before the album Birth of Malice in 2025. It supports that album with a world tour, including European dates with Testament, Obituary and Nervosa, and a US tour with Testament and Overkill.

Destruction’s members across its history include Thomas Senmann, Schmier, Mike Sifringer, Harry Heinrich Wilkens, Oliver Kaiser, André Grieder, Michael Piranio, Thomas Rosenmerkel, Christian Engler, Sven Vormann, Markus Reincke, Vaaver and Damir Eskic. The band is linked with Brain Butcher Compact and is widely described as a German thrash metal band.