AAM: How is it going touring in the U.S. again?
Destruction/Schimer: It’s really good, we love coming over. We come here and play, and play other countries and sometimes the promoters and stuff don’t give a f--- and get mad, but we come out for the fans and to promote us and play. And then tonight we’re playing in Anaheim and we can only play an hour! What the f--- is that?
AAM: Everyone knows about metal music and people who love to headbang. How do you tend to do it night after night? Have you ever had your neck go all whack, where you were stuck in that position?
Schimer: I’m really trained, and we started the bang. We practiced for 2 years in my garage and we got used to headbanging and have now headbanged for over 25 years – usually no problems as of yet. On a long tour it does get painful, but you get used to it. Nothing really bad.
AAM: I got into you guys because of your song "Desecrators" off "Metal Discharge" (2003). How does it feel when you hear a fan give you a remark like that?
Schimer: It’s great when people get into Destruction, when they hear something from the band. It’s great to see the band writing material, and seeing what the fans think of it. We get a lot of new fans and old fans.
AAM: What was the idea for the VIP Competition Contest you have running on your site? What did you think of what I told you? Why did you pick me?
Schimer: We wanted some fans to have a chance and get stuff signed, and sometimes it’s not too easy to get in contact with the fans, or they tend to miss us because we go eat. Or if I hang at the merch table, I try to meet the fans. I think it makes the show more special. I was looking for people who had good stories to tell. There was this one guy who traveled 18 hours from the North of Canada, [who wrote about] why they love Destruction and the band so much. I was looking for something that was interesting or had real meaning that hits you right away. A lot of people wrote to us and it was very overwhelming. We’re going to announce the last 5 winners this week for the last couple of shows. Like at the Key Club, it was more difficult because it was hard [for them] to accept our passes and stuff.
AAM: You guys have only one DVD around, "Live Discharge." Why just the one?
Schimer: The Anniversary DVD should be out by Christmas time, which will have a few shows on it, and then we’re releasing a double live album that was filmed at the Key Club in Hollywood and New York that should be out this summer. Overall it should be very entertaining.
AAM: Happy 25 Years, by the way. How does it feel to be around for that long? Done any parties in celebration?
Schimer: We have a party every day, actually! We’re celebrating and this tour is the biggest tour we’ve ever done as Destruction. It started back in September in South America and since then we’ve been on the road countless weeks. We just love being on the road and just touring. It’s going to end come December in Austria. We just party every day on the tour bus. I remember so much from the old days…and it doesn’t seem that long, actually.
AAM: I read in another interview floating around the Net that you guys have toured with other thrashers: Slayer. Any chances of seeing you guys going out on tour again?
Schimer: It depends on if we get invited! We had great tour with them on the Hell Awaits Tour, but they had Metallica’s tour manager and he was a total prick to us. We always want to play with other thrash legends and bands. But that manager isn’t working with them anymore since that tour, so that’s good. Fans also like Motorhead and we have supported them on tour many times. Even after 25 years its all about touring.
AAM: "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N." is your tenth accomplishment. Happy 10! What was the whole process for this record, i.e. title, artwork, lyrics? Does it go down the routes of your earlier works?
Schimer: It’s actually 13, I think, and then the other guys did like 3 or 4 without me. I think it’s 10 albums with me and then like 3 or 4 live albums with out me, but altogether probably 17 albums. I’m not sure. I don’t really count the albums [*Laughs*]. [It’s about ] the race of mankind, and people can relate: How they’re selfish and don’t care anymore about others, and it’s all about them and wanting to rule all over the world. It’s still a global effect. The lyrics on it starts in daily lives and goes through what the economy is going through. It’s necessary [because] we basically behave like cavemen; it’s how we act.
AAM: I noticed you guys rarely tour North America; last time you were here was in 2006.
Schimer: It’s difficult for us. The shows are far and it costs a lot of money: the tour bus, and traveling. And we don’t really make money. We try and sell our merch and make money from that. We had a lot of great shows last year and we played here in 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, and now 2009. It’s not so bad. If we get invited for another tour then we will come back. There are so many states and spots we haven’t played. It’s hard to get around. And then we get people that say, “When are you coming back to the USA?” and I’ll tell them we were just there!
AAM: What do you think of all these online communities, e.g. MySpace?
Schimer: I think those sites are really cool, and MySpace is a global network and helps bands connect with their fans and have people listen to bands’ music. I run the MySpace of ours and our website, and I dislike the people that hang out online and just talk s--- to one another. In general I think the Internet is great. When we started the band, it was impossible to connect with the fans. But now that the Internet is on I go on the Message Boards and communicate with the fans.
AAM: How is the current tour going? Are you getting along with the other acts? What do you think of Mantic Ritual? I also got to interview them.
Schimer: It’s going really well and they play a fresh thrash style that’s great. We have a great time and love what they do. They’re a young band and people at this age play music all sorts of metal, like metalcore. Mantic Ritual brings out the old-school thrash.
AAM: What are the largest and smallest crowds you've played in front of?
Schimer: I think 80,000 was the biggest crowd ever, and smallest crowd was in the middle of nowhere in Canada in a small little town and it was probably a hundred or a thousand people. We were playing so far out in the woods! We play no matter the size of the crowd, big or small.
AAM: Do you remember the first show Destruction ever played?
Schimer: The very first show we played we were headlining. It was Sodom, Morbid Angel, Kreator, and they were supporting. It was back in September 1984, I think, and I remember I was so nervous I kept losing my bass pick. I remember that really well.
AAM: Where do you see yourself and Destruction in 20 years?
Schimer: OMG! Well, who knows! We’ll see how many years we will have left…at least 10 or 15 years. My body will work about 20 years. We will see what happens.
AAM: So, how would you describe your sound to a stranger in three words?
Schimer: Sonic, Aggressive, Destruction music!
AAM: If you were interviewing yourself, what question would you ask yourself?
Schimer: Are you really the asshole everyone says you are?
AAM: What’s it like having me win your VIP Contest and getting the chance to interview you, double the trouble?
Schimer: What’s it like? I don’t know… I saw your name on the guest list the same day at the Key Club, and saw your name on the winners’ list too, and thought it was a funny thing. I’m sorry there was a lot of chaos and stress. And then the guest passes… But sometimes s--- happens, ya know?
AAM: Any final thoughts or comments?
Schimer: We’re gonna be at the B.B. King’s in New York next, and hopefully we will be back in the future, in maybe 2 years. Thanks for supporting old-school metal. Thrash till death!
