For over four decades, Schmier has been the driving force behind German thrash metal titans Destruction. In a recent interview with Stefan Nilsson of “Roppongi Rocks,” the bassist and vocalist reflected on his longevity in the scene and made it clear that he has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
When asked what keeps him motivated after nearly 45 years of aggression and touring, Schmier described his career not as a profession, but as a fundamental part of his existence.
“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,” Schmier said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
“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,” he continued.
“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 discussed the band’s evolution from a power trio to a four-piece unit. The current lineup includes guitarists Damir Eskić, who joined in 2019, and Martin Furia, who came aboard in 2021. While Schmier has a deep respect for the trio format, he believes the expanded roster has unlocked new creative potential for Destruction.
“We’re a quartet now [for] actually quite a while — [since] 2019. I think,” Schmier noted. “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.”
He added: “Heavy metal is meant to be two guitars. 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.”
The addition of Martin Furia was a natural progression for the band. The Belgian-based Argentinian musician was already part of the Destruction family, working as their sound engineer and tour manager before picking up the axe.
“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,” Schmier said.
“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. 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.”
Fans in the US can catch this lineup in action starting in March, as Destruction is set to support Testament and Overkill on the “Thrash Of The Titans” world tour.
2026 “Thrash Of The Titans” U.S. Tour Dates
- March 14, 2026 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
- March 15, 2026 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall
- March 16, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT – Rockwell at the Complex
- March 18, 2026 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
- March 20, 2026 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
- March 21, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore
- March 22, 2026 – Chicago, IL – Ramova Theatre
- March 24, 2026 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall
- March 25, 2026 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom
- March 27, 2026 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
- March 28, 2026 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
- March 29, 2026 – Reading, PA – Club Reverb
- March 31, 2026 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater
- April 1, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
- April 3, 2026 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
- April 4, 2026 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory
- April 5, 2026 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theatre
- April 8, 2026 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
- April 9, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco
- April 10, 2026 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre (no Overkill)
