DESTRUCTION vocalist/bassist Schmier recently spoke with Australia's Metal Mal. The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On new album "Born To Perish": Schmier: "There's a real good spirit in the band again. We feel renewed and really motivated. I think it is a strong album. It feels like a new start for the band. Twenty years ago, we had this comeback when I came back to the band, and this feels the same way now — kind of reborn. We had a great 20 years as a trio, but now as a four-piece, it feels like a new energy in the band. That's a new motivation for all of us." On whether any of the album was written while on tour: Schmier: "No. I can't. I want to focus on writing. I'm very effective once I start. I'm really quick if I have ideas, but usually, ideas are not a problem. When I start writing, I get quite [inspired] and then it goes quick. We started in December and then we [took], like, three months basically until the whole album was recorded and written. It's been three months of very creative work — maybe the fastest we've ever been in the writing and recording process. It's like everything in life — when you have a good run, stuff just goes together. It's like a smooth fusion of ideas and cooperation, and the band really became a strong unit. We worked really good together. We know each other all for a long time now, even if we didn't play all together in this constellation. There's enough respect and enough creativity there. It was a very creative rush, and it was great fun. I'm very satisfied." On new guitarist Damir Eskic: Schmier: "We felt the time was right for a change. We wanted to compose an album with two guitars again. We always had to hold back in the last years. When you compose an album and you're just a three-piece, [you have to] sacrifice – some parts, some melodies and some harmony parts – so we said this time, 'Why don't we finally do it and bring back a second guitar player?' Damir was the right guy at the right moment. He's a good friend of mine [and] a fantastic guitar player, and we've already played many shows together. He's a great contribution to the band." On the band's work ethic: Schmier: "We always like to play. In a good year, we easily play 150 shows. It's been a part of our success to play live. We've always been a good live band, and people want to see thrash metal live — it's energetic live; it's a live kind of music. We always love traveling, seeing different cultures and spreading our horizons. When I'm home, after three weeks at home, I'm going crazy — I want to tour again... Basically, there's no months without concerts, and the world is big enough — heavy metal or thrash metal might be underground music, but it has [a] big following all over the world... We have a great plan — we're on tour, maximum, four to five weeks, and then we're home again at least for two weeks. This way, you can actually tour a lot. I know a lot of other bands [who] go on tour for, like, three, four months. Then they come home, and then they break up. We have learned that we love each other enough to tour, but if you overdo it, then it's not good for the chemistry for anybody." On PÄNZER, his side project with Pontus Norgren (HAMMERFALL), guitarist Herman Frank (ACCEPT) and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann (ACCEPT): Schmier: "The PÄNZER thing, I basically had to quit. It was a difficult decision for me, but I felt like PÄNZER gave me a lot in terms of going back to my roots [and] playing with some fantastic musicians, playing some different music than DESTRUCTION, but I also felt that I was the driving force of the band and it took too much [of a] toll. At one point, the DESTRUCTION drummer left — Vaaver [Dramowicz] went for his family and left the band — I felt like the band was in need for me to be there 100 percent, so I told the PÄNZER guys that I can't do it at the moment anymore. I want to focus on DESTRUCTION, because DESTRUCTION is my life, my job, my dedication. PÄNZER is basically on ice. I don't know if the guys are going to continue without me or not — we didn't discuss that yet — but I had to focus on DESTRUCTION to save the band. With a new guitar player and a new drummer, it wasn't easy last year for us... it wasn't an easy year for me, because I had to make a lot of important decisions — decisions that either break the band or will be a super-bright future for the band, so I had to make the right decisions." "Born To Perish" will be released on August 9 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded in January and February 2019 with V.O. Pulver (PRO-PAIN, BURNING WITCHES, NERVOSA) at Little Creek Studios in Switzerland.
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