Tommy met up with Schmeir at a disco, of all places! Schmeir picked up the bass and for the time, the lineup was complete. However, a short time before they went into the studio to record the first demo, the vocalist was fired and Schmeir took over at the mike. Their first demo has 6 tracks of "Black - Hardcore - Highspeed - Metal", as they like to call it! It was recorded in only 5 to 6 hours. The tape is entitled "Bestial Invasion of Hell". It's real good, although does suffer a bit from production, like a lot of great demos do!
The material is thrash, the vocals are growling, but there's also excellent guitar work (influenced by the like of Randy Rhoads and Kirk Hammett) which separates this band from groups like SODOM and the now extinct HELLHAMMER.
- Brain Damage #1, 1984
DESTRUCTION released their first and only demo on this day in 1984. In the US you could mail-order this demo from Katon (HIRAX) for $4.00 (including lyrics and a photo), in Germany you could get it for 11 DM from Tommy Sandmann.
All the songs made it to future releases except "Front Beast" - listen above!
About the recording quality and performing vocals on some songs for the first time in the studio:
SCHMIER: Ja, es war aber vieles noch zu ungenau, z.B. der Sound. Außerdem habe ich zum ersten Mal im Studio gesunge.
TOMMY: Drei Lieder hat Schmier noch nie gesungen, sogar im Proberaum nicht. Im Studio hat er sich das erste Mal ans Micro gestellt.
- Destruction interview, Raise the Dead, #1 1984
About the demo recording quality, time (about 6 hours), and cost:
US-Thrasher like Hirax oder Malice gehen oft tagelang in große Studios um ihr Demo aufzunehmen, welches dann eine dementsprechende Qualität hat, und auch entsprechend viel Geld kostet. Wir haben unser Demo nur in einem kleinen 3-Spur Studio in ca. 6 Stunden aufgenommen weil wir eben nicht mehr Stütz hatten.
So wild mit der Finanzierung war's deswegen auch nicht, es mußte halt jeder 250 Märker vom mikrigen Konto abheben.
- Mike Sifringer / Destruction interview, Speed Attack #2, 1985
DON'T FORGOT: HARDCORE-SPEED-THRASH-METAL IS THE ONLY WAY OF FUCKEN TRUE METAL !!!!!!!!
