Destruction is a influential German thrash metal band formed in 1982. Critics place them alongside Kreator, Sodom, and Tankard as part of the “Big Four” of Teutonic thrash metal.

Vocalist and bassist Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer formed the group in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Guitarist Mike Sifringer and drummer Thomas “Tommy” Sandmann joined him to complete the original trio.

Afterwards, the band released their landmark debut EP Sentence of Death in 1984.

Consequently, Steamhammer Records signed the group and released their debut full-length album, Infernal Overkill.

Later, the band expanded their technical sound with two acclaimed full-length records. Eternal Devastation (1986) and Release from Agony (1987). Consequently, they established a fast, razor-sharp riffing style that gained international attention.

Internal tensions disrupted the band’s momentum at the end of the decade. First, the band fired Schmier during the writing sessions for their next album in 1989. Meanwhile, vocalist André Grieder stepped in to complete the vocal tracks for their 1990 album, Cracked Brain.

Furthermore, Sifringer recruited new musicians and released experimental albums throughout the 1990s. Fans generally disowned this period, and the group eventually lost its recording contract.

Schmier reunited with Sifringer in 1999 to restore the band’s traditional thrash sound. Subsequently, the band released a major comeback album through Nuclear Blast, under the title of All Hell Breaks Loose.

Next, they reaffirmed their status in extreme metal with aggressive touring and high-energy studio releases.

Eventually, long-time guitarist Sifringer departed the band in 2021. However, Schmier expanded the group into a four-piece lineup with new guitarists Damir Eskic and Martin Furia alongside drummer Randy Black.

Today, Destruction actively tours worldwide and releases new studio albums, maintaining their legacy as thrash metal pioneers.