LH: First of all it’s great to see you back in the UK. I saw you a couple of years ago when you played over here with Candlemass…

Schmier: Oh yes, in Bradford?

LH: Yea. How have the first couple of dates of the tour gone so far?

Schmier: It’s been very good actually. Good turnout and a lot people were really happy to finally see us, especially as it was our first time in Scotland for a long time yesterday, and also we’ve never played in Dublin before. So it’s going really well. We’ve just had some difficulties with some promoters but I think it’s a common problem…so far so good!

LH: Well, I know I was certainly disappointed when your last tour got cancelled…

Schmier: Yea.

LH: I believe that was also down to some problems with venues and promoters…

Schmier: Yea yea, it was the opening band we had, Nightrage. They couldn’t do the tour, ‘cause people left the band I guess…and then the local clubs were giving us a hard time over the shows, so we couldn’t do it. It was a bad thing because we were all happy about doing the tour because the clubs were really good ones…the Academy clubs are fun to play and we were sad that it didn’t happen.

LH: I’ve read recently that you were planning to do an extra long set on this tour to make up for those cancellations…

Schmier: Yea, we tried. You know, we’re trying to play as much of the classics and the songs the fans want to hear. Of course this is depending on the curfews of the venues and stuff but…in Dublin, for example, we played more than one and a half hours, you know…it depends on the fans too. If the fans are tired we don’t play as long, but…last night was quite a late set so we didn’t play that long…it always depends on the crowds…if they are hungry, y’know, if they want to hear the songs the we play longer and that’s basically how it is.

LH: So have you been playing many of the songs that are on Thrash Anthems?

Schmier: Yea, because it’s a “best of” album, of course, so a lot of the best songs are on Thrash Anthems…and it’s basically a mix of the new classics and the old anthems so the set is basically a nice collection from the career of destruction!

LH: You recorded your set at Wacken Open Air to use for your 25 year anniversary DVD. Could you tell me a bit about this upcoming DVD – will there be any bonus footage or other material on there?

Schmier: Yes, it will not only be the Wacken set, there will be other shows on there too. There will be some special interviews, including former members and other stuff like this…so basically it will have a lot of stuff that wasn’t on the last DVD…and especially with the Wacken show, with all the three drum kits…it was something very unique…so I guess it’s something very special, something you don’t so every day so we really look forward to trying to produce that!

LH: When can we expect to see the DVD hit the shelves?

Schmier: That’s a matter of the label. I wish we could do it before the album but more likely it will come after then. The album will come in August so maybe the DVD will be out in Autumn, before Christmas or some time around then…that’s next year by the way.

LH: When I first heard about Thrash Anthems I was a little sceptical, thinking that maybe the old songs would lose some of their appeal on the new recordings, or that maybe too much would be changed…but I must say that the new versions are every bit as good as the originals…

Schmier: Ah, thankyou!

LH: So what were the reasons for re-recording the songs?

Schmier: The kids liked the songs and the fans had been demanding it for a while. The old albums don’t sound that good, and now we’re playing the songs in a new, fresh way, kind of because the old recordings are so old. We were in Japan last year and all of the re-recorded songs had such a great response from the crowd, they were like ‘yea, sounds cool, sounds fresh’ and it just gave us the idea to do that. We thought about doing this album already, some years ago, but then other bands did the same thing and we were like…okay, we’ll wait a little longer’…then when Testament came out wit the same idea we were like yea, we’ll skip this and do it later.

LH: As for the selection of songs on the album, how did you go about choosing which songs to re-record?

Schmier: Basically a lot of the songs made the setlist because the classics had been demanded from the fans, and on the website. We tried to fit on as many songs as possible and I think we totally reached the limit of an album…and we didn’t want to do a double album…so I think it’s good value for money…and there was a little space left for 2 or 3 tracks more so we used the bonus tracks.

LH: So do you think that by putting a modern touch on these classic songs that they become more accessible to the younger metal fans who are so used to hearing the modern production?

Schmier: Of course…you know the ears today have a spoilt hearing and everybody believes that in the 80’s post production was the ultimate thing but it wasn’t…it just came out poor sometimes because the producers at the time weren’t in German metal. Heavy metal producers came at the end of the 80’s…at the beginning of the 80’s there were no metal producers. I mean, the demand has been basically coming from a lot of the young fans, so it was a good opportunity to finally do this and also we could have waited to do another album…we’re on the road now and everyone has albums out…so either we take a year, do nothing…or we put out this “best of” album. This has given us a break to go for the next album with a little bit of time in-between.

LH: What have the reactions been like from the older fans who remember the original recordings?

Schmier: Mostly it’s been good, but you always find somebody who complains, y’know…but basically Thrash Anthems has sold a lot better than everyone thought so I guess that is good too y’know, that people liked it.

LH: You’ve already mentioned the upcoming Destruction album. Could you just talk a bit about your plans for the album…do you have any material written already for this, as I know you’re also very busy with your other project Headhunter at the minute.

Schmier: Yea, we’ll start writing the album when I’m done with the Headhunter stuff in December. After this tour I am going into the studio with Headhunter, finish the Headhunter stuff, then we [Destruction] can start recording the early demos in December and hit the studio in March/April with the new album.

LH: I’d like to move onto a few questions about your other band Headhunter. This was the band which you formed upon leaving Destruction in the early 90’s. I know there has been some talk of you reforming for some time. Have you stayed in touch with the rest of the band since you disbanded and what made you decide to get back together?

Schmier: Destruction came back and people were asking for the Headhunter albums ‘cause they were sold out for years and we didn’t want to do the re-releases then because I was focussed on Destruction and didn’t want to sell out…so I’d been waiting until the time was right, ‘till I had some time to do the re-masters. When we did the re-masters, everything was fun and I started to write some stuff and we offered it to a label and AFM…they accepted right away so…it was a good opportunity to do something different in my spare time, y’know, better than having nothing to do…

LH: It keeps you busy during your breaks, when you’re not doing anything with Destruction.

Schmier: Yea, basically. I mean, I was always in contact with the other guys…Jorg was playing with Stratovarius so we saw him all the time on tour…and we were never out of contact.

LH: Cool. Well it seems like a good time right now for any thrash band to reform…at the moment the market is definitely there, as you already mentioned, the kids are getting into it…

Schmier: Yea

LH: …People are screaming out for thrash and the older bands, here in the UK at least. What do you think about this, I mean, that people are interested and wanting to hear this kind of stuff again?

Schmier: It’s a good thing. I mean, when we came back eight years ago, everyone was talking about a thrash reunion and it wasn’t happening. Now people are saying it again and I can see more movement at the moment. Everywhere we play there are a lot of young kids, all the front rows are full of young people so there’s definitely a new generation. It’s just a normal reaction for…y’know, if you have something that’s not very commercial, afterwards, the next wave, the next generation of people will get into some of this more non-commercial, more unusual or have something, y’know, different to say lyrically. I guess after all of the nu-metal and all of the melodic metal the kids are just fed up and they want to have something different…and thrash metal is honest, true, uncommercial music. It’s a good sign…not everybody is manipulated by MTV.

LH: I mean some of them will grow out of it and move onto something else, the next trend…

Schmier: Of course …

LH: And some will stay with it.

Schmier: Of course!

LH: Well you’ve been in rehearsals for the new Headhunter album. How are rehearsals going and what can we expect from the new material?

Schmier: We’re almost done with the demos new and we start recording at the beginning of December. The new songs are a little bit heavier than the old stuff but it’s still very melodic with the lead guitars and the choruses…just more catchy and more NWOBHM influenced…but still should be Headhunter.

LH: Do you have any intention of touring with Headhunter at all, or is it just going to be a recording project?

Schmier: I don’t think we really have the time for that…

LH: No…

Schmier: But we’ll maybe think about playing some festivals some time.

LH: Just some one off shows maybe?

Schmier: Yea. Next year we’re going to have the 25 year anniversary so we won’t have much time to tour with Headhunter. If someone would offer us some festivals then that would be a great opportunity for us…but there won’t be time for a full tour. Maybe one day though, you never know!

LH: Well, that’s me all out of questions! I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank you for the interview, and to wish you the best of luck for the rest of the tour.

Schmier: My pleasure, thankyou! Great to be here finally in the UK!

You can check out Destruction at www.destruction.de or http://www.myspace.com/officialdestruction and Headhunter at www.official-headhunter.com or http://www.myspace.com/officialheadhunter. Visit the record label at www.afm-records.de. Read a review of the Leeds Rios gig here

Interviewed by Luci Herbert

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