Interview

Destruction Frontman Schmier Discusses Latest Album, "Under Attack," German Thrash And Angela Merkel

During this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, I had the pleasure of meeting many bands I grew up listening to, and indeed still listen to regularly. I was able to sit down with one of German thrash metal's most beloved names, Schmier, frontman of one of the Teutonic scene's biggest names, Destruction. During the interview, we spoke about the cruise, the jam session which included Mille Petrozza of fellow German thrash legends, Kreator, the collection of re-recorded material, "Thrash Anthems II" and the current political climate in Europe.

Speaking about the title of the latest album of new material, Schmier stated:

"We're under attack by everything these days. There are no quiet moments because everyone is on their cellphones and checking emails all day. We're under the influence of so many things nowadays. Then of course there's the global situation, there's so many wars. It's the right title for me but also a little controversial."

When asked about how German bands are treated in the modern European climate, he said:

"I'm not a big fan of our government, there are so many idiots. In the end it's all about making money, not about saving other countries. But we also get a lot of love because there's a lot of people who like German football or German heavy metal. Even Israel, who I expected to be very skeptical of Germans, have shown us a lot of love."

On the current administration led by Angela Merkel:

"It's the most terrible government we've had for 30, 40, 50 years. We're paying taxes like crazy and the policies have divided Europe, which is something we don't want because we need Europe to be united. For me, a united Europe was a dream because we were able to play shows in other countries much easier but now it's kind of falling apart."

You can watch the entire interview below.