Destruction

Formed in Weil am Rhein, Baden-Württemberg, in 1982, Destruction is considered one of the three kings of German thrash metal, along with Kreator and Sodom. This honorary title, and the presence of groove metal elements in their music, is not enough to make Destruction a master of the genre. Indeed, since 1985 and their debut album Infernal Overkill, Destruction have not been credited with any major breakthroughs. After a long hiatus between 1990 and 1999, Destruction returned to business, remaining faithful to a style that can best be described as basic. 2012's Spiritual Genocide fits easily into a rather linear discography. Destruction continue in this timeless thrash metal vein with Under Attack (2016), which goes back to the basics of their debut and returns to the Teutonic charts, landing at number 68. Popular with the new generation, this ancestor of the scene has been led since day one by the indestructible Marcel Meier Schirmer, formerly bassist and singer, the only original member after the departure of historic guitarist Mike Sifringer, who left in 2018. Replaced by Damir Eskic, the latter participates with the new drummer, the experienced Randy Black (Annihilator, Primal Fear), in the birth of Born to Perish (2019), which reaches number 26 on the album chart. This score is further improved in 2022 with Diabolical, which leaps to 12th place. This first Napalm Records album is followed in 2025 by Birth of Malice.