DESTRUCTION - New Song, Old Drummers At Rock Hard Festival
May 15, 2016, 8 years ago
Appropriate for Friday the 13th, Destruction performed at the annual Rock Hard festival, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. For their countrymen, the thrashers spiced up the 75 minute, pyro laden 16-song set with three onstage appearances by the blood splattered apron-wearing Mad Butcher, maniacally wielding a chainsaw to introduce "The Butcher Strikes Back". At one point, there were three drum kits onstage, occupied by current skinsman Wawrzyniec "Vaaver" Dramowicz, original/now grey haired drummer Tommy Sandmann (who played on the classic initial trio of albums) and his replacement, Olly Kaiser. Affording Vaaver a brief mid-concert break, Sandmann was given the solo spotlight for "The Antichrist", while kaiser bashed out "Reject Emotions". From the new Under Attack, released the same day, Schmier & Mike debuted first single, "Second To None", which decries the negativity of some individuals on the Internet. Near the end of the set, former Sodom guitarist Andy Brings joined the band for "Total Desaster". Speaking of fellow Teutonic thrashers, Sodom founder Tom Angelripper and Tankard singer Gerre (Andreas Geremia) added their voices to a cover of Venom's "Black Metal". Both groups were also on the bill and the live sets are available for viewing, thanks to Rockpalast and German television channel WDR.
