DESTRUCTION's SCHMIER Says He Will Keep Playing Music Until He Drops Dead: 'It's A Passion, And It's Not Just A Job'

In a new interview with Stefan Nilsson of Roppongi Rocks, bassist/vocalist Schmier of thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION was asked what keeps him going nearly four a half decades sinafterce the band's inception. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think music is more than just… Music, it's a lifestyle. It' a feeling. And it makes me happy. It makes many people happy too.

"I tried, in all those years, to do some something else also beside music — I had my restaurant — but it always comes back that I'm a musician and the thing that makes me happy is to travel, see the fans, play live, write songs," Schmier explained. "And people are asking me, since 20 years, 'What are you gonna do after music?' And I said it yesterday in another interview, I guess after music I will drop dead, because music is something you do till the end. It's a passion, and it's not just a job. So I'm glad I'm still able to do this, as long as the fans wanna see us. And, yeah, we'll see how long we can play thrash metal — until the back hurts and the neck hurts — but at the moment we are in good shape. So hopefully we can have some more [good years ahead of us]."

Schmier also talked about the 2019 addition of DESTRUCTION guitarist Damir Eskić and 2021 arrival of guitarist Martin Furia. Damir is a Swiss guitar player of Bosnian decent who works as a guitar teacher, himself being a former pupil of Tommy Vetterli (CORONER). He also played in a heavy metal band called GOMORRA. The Argentinian-born, Belgian-based Furia is best known for his work as sound engineer and producer for such bands as NERVOSA and EVIL INVADERS.

"We're a quartet now [for] actually quite a while — [since] 2019. I think," Schmier said. "Now it's seven years already.

"I loved the trio thing. I grew up on MOTÖRHEAD and RUSH and VENOM and TRIUMPH and all the trios back then. But then you are always limited, and with two guitars, so many gates open. Aso, the songwriting is much nicer because you have more options. And live, it's, of course, more raw power, more double leads, more harmony leads.

"Heavy metal is meant to be two guitars," Schmier explained. "Even though I love the power trios and I love our phase as a trio, because every individual member has more to do with more pressure. But the creativity and everything is just much nicer. And the power, of course, if you're a four-piece."

Speaking about Furia, Schmier said: "He kind of grew into [the role of DESTRUCTION's second guitarist]. He was our tour manager and sound guy, and now he's our guitar player.

"When we looked for a guitar player, we looked for somebody that is not just a great player. He has to fit in the band," Schmier explained. "He has to know the band and the history. And he was actually the first guy we auditioned, and we said, 'Let's see if he's good enough.' But when he came, he was so well prepared, and we said, 'Man, we love the guy.' I remember when he came for the audition, we said, 'Let's hope he rehearsed.' We knew he was a solid player, but DESTRUCTION songs are tricky and there's a lot of shredding going on. And he's a producer. He is a sound engineer, and he's a good songwriter. So he's a great addition to the team."

DESTRUCTION will support TESTAMENT on the U.S. leg of the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' "Thrash Of The Titans" world tour. The trek, which will launch in March, features additional support from fellow thrash legends OVERKILL.

DESTRUCTION's 16th studio album, "Birth Of Malice", was released in March 2025 via Napalm Records.

Schmier is joined in DESTRUCTION's current lineup by Furia and Eskić, along with drummer Randy Black.

"Birth Of Malice" was recorded at Switzerland's Little Creek Studio by V.O. Pulver. Furia mixed and mastered the LP at The Black Mancave in Hannover, Germany.

DESTRUCTION's massive career has seen many successes, with the band hitting stages at the world's biggest festivals around the world like Hellfest, Wacken Open Air, Graspop Metal Meeting and México Metal Fest.

In August 2021, DESTRUCTION officially parted ways with founding guitarist Mike Sifringer and replaced him with Furia.