Destruction Eternal Devastation LP metal vinyl death thrash exumer sepultura DRI

Description: Brand new, sealed. DESTRUCTIONEternal Devastation LP BLACK High Roller Records, reissue 2023, black vinyl, ltd 300, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, printed inner sleeve, poster, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony, original 1986 sound Schmier - Bass, VocalsMike Sifringer - GuitarsTommy Sandmann - Drums 1. Curse the Gods2. Confound Games3. Life Without Sense4. United by Hatred5. Eternal Ban6. Upcoming Devastation7. Confused Mind Mastered by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY in February 2017. Original 1986 sound! “Eternal Devastation” is Destruction’s second full-length album. Released in 1986, it showed a band that had moved away from their early, more black metal influenced style towards a “purer” form of thrash. Was that a conscious choice the band had made? Schmier explains: “I think it was just a very natural progress. Mike had so many great riffs for this album, we did not really think about the direction we were going into, we just did what felt right. Also, I had started to write more lyrics, so the dark outlook of our earlier songs gave way to more socially critical topics. I would say the album is more grown up and more mature. In hindsight it is always easier to understand what happened. I guess musicians always want to move on and that’s what happened. My most favourite Destruction songs from Eternal Devastation are still these two: ‘Curse The Gods’ and ‘Life Without Sense’.”When putting out their sophomore album, many bands tend to have the feeling that they have to prove themselves as a band, or to meet some particular expectations that fans and press have. Was that also the case with “Eternal Devastation”? Guitarist Mike has the answer: “No, there was no fear at all. It’s never useful to get nervous and it also makes no sense to listen to everybody’s opinion. We just practiced a lot and tried to become better musicians.”“Eternal Devastation” was recorded “in April 1986 in a small studio in a small Bavarian town called Hilpoltstein”, recalls Schmier. “But I don’t remember, who came across the idea to choose this particular studio. We were pretty much left alone with the producer.” Despite these obscure circumstances, the album turned out great, and both press and fans received it very well. Schmier: “Yes, reactions to the album were very good. Mike finally got some credit and recognition from the scene. In the beginning, nobody took us serious, for most journalists we were just a hell lot of noise. ‘Eternal Devastation’ was the record that established us as a band on the European market. We did our first headline tour, but then also the first line-up changes occurred. When we were still in the studio, Tommy told us already that he would leave the band... that was devastating!” Losing Tommy wasn’t only difficult for the band, but also for Destruction’s original drummer himself: “It was very hard for me as a die-hard enthusiast to make that sad decision to leave the band. But I decided to free the drum seat for someone else, who would be able to help the band to achieve the next level. That’s when Olly came in…”“Eternal Devastation”, the record which brought all those dramatic changes about, is still regarded as one of the most important Destruction albums and repeatedly makes it into any “Top 10 of (German) Thrash Records” list you find anywhere on the internet. It gets a lot of praise for its innovative and ingenious riffing and soloing, masterfully executed by Mike Sifringer, and for Schmier’s acrid signature vocal style, that had become even more distinctive and unique than on the previous recordings. Mike tells us about his own favourite feature of ‘Eternal Devastation’: “I’m pretty proud of ‘Curse The Gods’. I still like the lyrics a lot and the riffing is kind of unique. Religious people may hate it, I know. But it’s against war!” Schmier already hinted to the new stance Destruction were taking on “Eternal Devastation”: The band had put some work into the lyrics, which had turned out a lot more serious than before. Instead of just railing against Christianity, as so many other black/thrash-influenced bands did, their lyrics dealt with the problematic aspects of religion as such, e.g. in “Curse the Gods”, and Destruction also addressed some serious social issues, e.g. in “Life Without Sense”, which criticises the general lack of acceptance for disabled people. What did it mean to them to write and sing lyrics like these? Schmier: “There is a big difference to writing lyrics when you’re a wild angry teen compared to when you are a bit older and more experienced. When you’re starting out, maybe your English isn’t very good and your band has just started to write songs. A couple of years later, when you have achieved serious success and have grown both artistically and personally, you become aware that people might actually listen to what you are singing about. All of a sudden it was a completely different game. Our youthful carelessness turned into a more responsible and artistic approach, but we were still pissed off and wanted to kick some conservative asses – but with more style!”The sound of “Eternal Devastation” is definitely ass-kicking: it is sharp and clear but also very abrasive – had Destruction worked for that or did it just happen? Mike: “We wanted a sharp, aggressive guitar sound. The result came out a bit extreme, a touch too much, maybe. But a lot of people like that and say it’s the trademark of the album.” Tommy adds his view on the way the album influenced the development of his former band: “At that time we decided to go into a more technical direction. Still fast though, of course, but with more tempo changes and some – for our standards – progressive elements. I liked the stuff!”Now let’s quote one reviewer: “The second full-length of the restless three-piece expresses the attitude of the metal scene of the mid-eighties. As a real child of its time, it reflects the pioneering spirit of a more or less rebellious youth.” Would the band themselves agree to that? Can “Eternal Devastation” stand as a “representative” both of a whole scene and of a whole period? Schmier tries to give an answer to this: “It really stands for our spirit, and as we have reached a lot of people that supported us at that time, it surely was a statement against the commercial music scene of the early 80s. I would even call it a little rebellion... Nobody really wanted us, we just kicked our way in. But not all of the metal scene was like that. You know, there was this big posers-versus-thrashers fight going on. It was mad! They did not take us serious and we hated their commercial aspect of playing Rock ‘n’ Roll! Hahaha... Funny to look back at that ‘cause nowadays, I’m friends with a lot of those bands ‘cause we all stood the test of time!”The cover artwork for “Eternal Devastation” was contributed by German artist Sebastian Krüger, who began his career as a designer of numerous cover spreads for the press and as an illustrator of various LP covers, before he gave up on commercial work and solely concentrated to free painting. Mike recalls how the band got in touch with him – did Krüger maybe come up with the idea for that very hairy cover image? “No, we told him about the concept and he did a great job. I remember that my girlfriend came up with ‘Uproaring Devastation’ as an idea for an album title, well, the rest is history.”Following the release of “Eternal Devastation”, Destruction went on tour with Kreator and Rage. Schmier shares his best memories from that tour: “Definitely the friendship that grew on that tour between the bands. We felt like a united scene, like something special had happened! And this friendship has lasted for decades, and still does. And of course, the first headline tour in your own nightliner makes you feel like a real rock star, after all the weekend shows in vans we did at the beginning. It felt fantastic til the tour was over and we learned that we had earned no money at all... Hahaha!”Releasing ‘Eternal Devastation’ via High Roller Records will hopefully be a lot less disappointing, and Schmier seems quite certain about that: “First of all let me tell you that High Roller Records did such a great job visually and audio-wise. And just as we did for ‘Infernal Overkill’, we unearthed the lyrics to the songs to have them printed for the very first time, along with some old pix. The HRR edition will also include a poster of the front cover – it’s fantastic!” Agreed. Ulrike Schmitz I've already praised the quality of remasters pulled out by the German label Holy Roller Records, see their work they did with non-Relapse remasters of Razor (Relapse got the bulk of the best) but High Roller Recs did miracles with some extremely poorly recorded albums such as the previously named band 1987 letdown Custom Killing, making into something listenable. Well, when it comes to Destruction, High Roller Recs deserve extreme praise on top of the now clear as day bass and the awesome sound given to Sifringer's guitar and gone are the far-away sounding pounding devices of the drums from all of their 1985 to 1990 records (OG Destruction, even Cracked Brain counts despite what some would claim). That's where I actually discovered High Roller Records (and they keep remastering and reissuing never dying classics, this year (2022), they have did it for Canada's Sacrifice first 2 albums, to excessive success. No overblowing the whole eq band, all of the sounds we should have been hearing are there and we can admire Mike Sifringer's talents, he was a lot more committed when it came to writing stuff other than great riffs, the amazing musical thrash break in Confound Games is something to behold and to cherish, if you worship mentally twisted sounding thrash metal, it doesn't get any better. High Roller made sure that nobody forgot how genius this LP, the Mad Butcher EP and Release From Agony LP from 1988 were, the 2 other reissues are excellent too, but they're not in the same ballpark for obvious reasons. This album takes your mind and throws it around in a, pardon the pun, eternal nightmare of weird tempo changes in most of the songs. Songs like Curse The Gods and Life Without Sense in particular makes you wonder if Schmeir (bass, vocals) did more than just drink your average thrashers' alcohol during the process of writing this album along with his 2 companions. The closer, correctly named, "Confused Mind" is complimented by overdubbed "Hell Awaits" type effects in the first verse and the relentless riffing, sharp as razors, no, chainsaws....uhm no, the very best butcher's knife, is unconventional and always has this effect of uncertainty into where things are going in each compositions, even the instrumental "Upcoming Devastation". The soloing is very Hanneman/King worship, but at this time it was done by single person and Sifringer had his own signature to these, Destruction being one of those bands that are instantly recognizable, especially with Schmeier back in 85-89 and in their 2000 and 2001 comeback LP's. The thrash break in this closer track is so damn effective, I wish it wasn't being faded out (Sifringer is still coming with variations here and there but we are treated to the sound of a walking woman and some maniac killing her with some funny sounding typical 80's scary movie kind of funny. The only track that is not following the album's theme of mental illness, solitude, insanity, mania inducing lyrics and riffs is United By Hatred, it's got a very melodic intro riff and is overall the fastest track on here with that intro riff coming back again, with a very effective chorus, a call to all of metal scene in the 80's for those who were different and despised the way things were forced upon the common man by the State and its politics, nevermind their "side". German bands always took more pages from the hardcore/punk book when it came to lyrics regarding injustice and NATO vs. Soviet nonsense, and they were West Germans, a still occupied country in many of their eyes, not just my opinion or that of Destruction or the overall underground extreme music of the mid 80/late 80's. Now most of the time I would say, "get the original, or some earlier remaster kid", but not when it comes to jewels of the 80's and early 90's thrash and death/thrash that is resurrected so efficiently by High Roller Records, all of their remasters of Destruction records are dollar per dollar a win, you will be ripped off by extremely expensive original vinyl or CD's that were recorded with a very new method of recording that Destruction's producer was using at the time, recording straight from the analog studio to digital (to CD), which often causes Destruction to be forgotten a little under Sodom or Kreator in their early output when it comes to the greatest of German thrash, to me that is unwarranted, Destruction's 80's material when correctly eq'd like on this remastered reissue, especially this album, as it is the best offering of theirs in their original incarnation as a trio, it couldn't get any better and I'm glad Harry Wilkins showed up for the next 3 records, too bad he's only a studio and solo guitarist even since they have regrouped with extreme effect in 1999, writing 2 new classics as in "All Hell Breaks Loose" and "The Antichrist" in 2000 and 2001, even later Wilkins is only a studio musician, a shame, because Mike's abilities at soloing are peaking here and on the next 2 releases, he's a master at devastating brutal thrash riffs that feel a bit sick in the head though, no doubt. I got this to my older cousin who's an old metalhead in his 50's and in his words "I had no idea this album was this good, even back then!" So that means HRR did its job, dig out artifacts of massive importance and influence from 25 to 40 years ago and actually do a great job when doing their remastering. Those remasters almost make the Thrash Anthems I and II re-recordings not as necessary, although the former has 2 new pretty good original tunes. Highly recommend, I so wish Mike had continued to write those spirally, mind crushing, mania inducing riffs sometimes after the few albums issued after 2005 where they kind of lose originality, but they continue on due to Schmeier not losing one iota of his the power in his voice, the one of a man that needs very strong meds when not performing music (to his credit too, he's such a kind chill dude in real life). Finally, it's hard to pick highlights, as this just long enough album is solid as reinforced titanium in both composition and how catchy they are despite the uneasy feeling they bring to the listener. But Curse The Gods and Life Without Sense are still very commonly played in their live sets to this day, so, before taking my word for it, you can just buy one track from that remaster and make it one of these and then compare with what you already own, you'll be very surprised! Same for those not that familiar with Destruction, this is the way to go to discover this classic thrash band, this edition, as vinyl or cd/digital files is the way to go for those who have a problem with very lofi production, something Destruction had an issue with until Release From Agony, but even that remaster from HRR makes that LP better just the same. Going on without hearing this again in this format would literally be living senselessly (sorry....I had to).

Price: 30.99 USD

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

End Time: 2024-09-24T13:10:32.000Z

Shipping Cost: 7 USD

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Destruction Eternal Devastation LP metal vinyl death thrash exumer sepultura DRI

Item Specifics

All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted

Artist: Anthrax, Death, Destruction, Metallica, Morbid Angel, Morbid Saint, Mortician, Obituary, Pantera, Sepultura, Slayer, Sodom, Venom, Warlord, Pentagram, Trouble, exciter, deicide, bolt thrower, sacrifice, razor, tank

Speed: 33 RPM

Record Label: High Roller Records

Release Title: eternal devastation

Color: Black

Material: Vinyl

Inlay Condition: Mint (M)

Edition: Anniversary Edition, Limited Edition

Type: LP

Record Grading: Mint (M)

Format: Record

Release Year: 2021

Sleeve Grading: Mint (M)