Destruction: Spiritual Genocide – new album

The twelfth, as well as the 30th anniversary album by German thrash metal kings DESTRUCTION, ‘Spiritual Genocide’, is out now, November 23rd, 2012, via Nuclear Blast Records. The new “Mad Butcher” adventures were recorded at Gernhart Studios in Troisdorf with engineer Martin Buchwalter and were mixed by Andy Classen. As fast, as brutal and yet as groovy as they have ever sounded, ‘Spiritual Genocide’ also features very special guest musicians: TANKARD's Gerre (Andreas Geremia) and SODOM's Tom Angelripper, the original ‘Release From Agony’ (1988's album) line-up, as well as “the hottest young thrash guitarist” EVILE's Ol Drake. The “Mad Butcher” makes his return courtesy artist Gyula and Mania Studio (‘Carnivore’ video, see below). Shop for DESTRUCTION here (Nuclear Blast store).

DESTRUCTION was formed in 1983 in Weil am Rhein, Germany, by vocalist and bassist Marcel Schmier, guitarist Mike Sifringer, and drummer Tommy Sandmann. DESTRUCTION are considered one of the “three kings” of the Teutonic thrash metal, the other two being KREATOR and SODOM. Their demo, ‘Bestial Invasion’, impressed critics and fans as well as German label Steamhammer, which offered the band a record deal; DESTRUCTION's debut EP, ‘Sentence Of Death’, followed in 1984. DESTRUCTION released their first proper album, ‘Infernal Overkill’, in 1985, and continued on to record ‘Eternal Devastation’, which saw the release in 1986. Awarded with 4.5 out of 5 rating by AllMusic, DESTRUCTION's last album to feature the original, “classic” line-up was described as “an essential document of early European thrash” by Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic (more here). The band lost founding member drummer Sandmann, found his replacement in Oliver Kaiser and additional guitarist, Harry Wilkens, was brought on board before DESTRUCTION delivered what many consider their finest album, ‘Release From Agony’, in 1988. (“A bit more technicality is involved with this album, an overlooked classic,” is all AllMusic contributes on the subject.) Frontman and founder Schmier was sacked by the rest of the band shortly after 1989's ‘Live Without Sense’ was issued and was replaced with vocalist Andre Grieder and bassist Christian Engler.

“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’ and particularly 1998's career low entitled ‘The Least Successful Human Cannonball’,” wrote Eduardo Rivadavia – read the rest here]

In 1999, Schmier rejoined DESTRUCTION and since then, 2000's ‘All Hell Breaks Loose’, 2001's ‘The Antichrist’, and 2003's ‘Metal Discharge’ (featuring drummer Marc Reign) have been released through Nuclear Blast Records. The band switched over to AFM Records for 2005's ‘Inventor Of Evil’, 2007's ‘Thrash Anthems’ and 2008's ‘D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.’, but returned home for their eleventh album, 2011's ‘Day Of Reckoning’, the first album recorded with new drummer Vaaver (Wawrzyniec Dramowicz):

“The songs have the churn of a truck in low gear, proceeding relentlessly uphill before the inevitable frantic, skidding slide down the other side. With track titles like ‘Hate Is My Fuel’, ‘Armageddonizer’, ‘Sheep Of The Regime’, ‘Sorcerer Of Black Magic’, and the like, you pretty much know what you're getting: a little bit of angry political ranting and a little bit of rote occultism, all set to tribal-meets-punk drumming and grinding guitars. Longtime fans of these guys will be very pleased that after nearly 30 years, they're every bit as powerful as they ever were,” [commented Phil Freeman, AllMusic – more here]

DESTRUCTION features: Marcel Schmier - vocals and bass, Mike Sifringer - guitar and Wawrzyniec “Vaaver” Dramowicz - drums