Destruction

Destruction are a German thrash metal band from the first wave of European thrash, formed in 1982, though their active years are counted from 1983. They are usually named alongside Kreator, Sodom and Tankard as one of the "Big Four" of German thrash. Their sound grew out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, with classic metal meeting the do-it-yourself spirit of punk before hardening into thrash. They also had a hand in pioneering black metal.

Their early run is the heart of the story: Infernal Overkill (1985), Eternal Devastation (1986) and Release From Agony (1987) are regarded as thrash classics. The 1990s were mostly spent without a label, self-producing records, until Nuclear Blast signed them in the early 2000s. The Antichrist (2001) comes from that revival, and the band have kept releasing albums since, most recently Birth of Malice in 2025.