Mike: Yes!

Mike: Oh, we don't use blood, ha-ha-ha... It's too dirty, you know. Yeah, what we do is now at the time in Europe. We do pyro-show, like some explosions and shit. But it's a bit hard to do it in Hungary, 'cause the law here won't love it, like in Germany. So we can't do the whole shit tonight and the stage is too low, you know, and we like to put big flames and shit, but we can't do that tonight. We don't wanna burn the place down, ha-ha... Yeah, we have like a special light show. You will see tonight.

Mike: Uh... I think we play none of these ones. When we have a long set and we can play one and half hour, then we play "Antichrist" and really old shit, but today we just have one hour, I think.

Mike: Yeah sure! And "Mad Butcher"... It's a pity we had at the beginning of the tour started with the HYPOCRISY. And we played "Total Desaster" together with Peter Tägtgren (On vocals? - Ed.). On guitar too. Was cool! But they left yesterday.

Mike: Was funny situation. Peter was checking the guitar sound. He said I will go to the studio early, you can stay in bed I do the guitar sound for you. And when I came to studio he played the guitar and checking; played "Total Desaster". And he asked me: Hey Mike show me if it's right I have play! And we jammed together and Schmier came in and said: Hey record it! That's it. Just spontaneous, you know.

Mike: Oh, our staying was exciting and funny. Yeah, was nice to work with Peter Tägtgren. He is really into the music and can feel that. He's really relaxed person. We have the same vibes. Was easy going, you know. And yes, we had a nice Christmas party in Sweden. Peter invited us in his family's house. Yeah, with his son, his family, his father, his mother and Swedish Christmas is nice they start to drink like afternoon 2 o'clock. They start with liqueur and gin. And everybody was like fucked up at 8 o'clock already. But they still drink and drink. And was hell, ha-ha-ha-ha... Was nice! And Peter's parents are nice people, you know.

Mike: It's like came natural. In the beginning we just jammed around or got maybe the same taste. Not really a music taste, but taste how to do songs for DESTRUCTION. How they should sound. And what we did try is like getting a mixture of old DESTRUCTION songs, but put a bit more new shit in. Like mixture.

Schmier: We don't think about too much why doing so. We just trying play the stuff we like, the stuff we used to do. And the new songs turned out to be this way. And it felt very good, it felt very comfortable rush at the beginning. We're writing songs so. It comes out of the heart for us, you know. I think it is lot more DESTRUCTION than "Release from Agony", it's my opinion. I'm really happy with it. And I'm sure that the new one even gonna be a more DESTRUCTION-like, you know.

Mike: Long question. We write the songs together almost. Most of the time I got some riff ideas. I bring it and then Schmier says what he thinks about that refrain and shit you know. I do like 80% of the riffs or maybe 70% and Schmier is doing all the lyrics. And we put it together. Sven has cool ideas too. He's just playing some beats and I jam on. And yeah, I like that. It's the same shit with the music. It's like if you're a musician and not lazy you'll change. Progressing. And what Schmier did with the HEADHUNTER is he wanted to be more Power Metal-like, you know. And always doing a mixture.

Schmier: Oh, I don't think so. It's lot more aggressive, you know. There's no melodic vocal on the new DESTRUCTION album. Of course, the arrangements and stuff you know this is more my handwriting. But the riffing, it's a lot of Mike's riffs on the album. I write all the lyrics and write some vocal-lines and some riffs, you know. Riffs for the singing. Mike also brings a lot of riffs so it's pretty good split for all of us, you know.

Mike: I like it. I like the guitars a lot. Great drummer sure! And I like it. Sometimes it's a bit too soft for me maybe. But it's well done, you know, good ideas.

Mike: Oh, people's idea, ha-ha. Everybody asked us about that first demo and asks us if you have it. I didn't have it anymore. You can get it on the black market. People told me: Oh, it's really getting high price now. Like 200 dollars. In America they told me they paid 200 dollars for that fucking small tape. And we said yeah, it's too expensive for everybody and there's not enough of that demos. So, we did it for the people who wants the demo and we wanted to do it cheap, you know. For Japan we recorded METALLICA song "Whiplash". It's not out in Europe yet. It's just out in Japan now. But it will be released on a Nuclear Blast sampler, on the next one.

Mike: Yeah! We didn't had much chance to re-master, 'cause it was like a film tape. Just two track shit. Yeah, it's easier to re-master if you have a 16-track or 24. We just put a bit compress.

Mike: I can't remember man. Sorry, maybe ask Schmier later on. Uh, but it was a long time ago. I lost my demo tape like 10 years ago. I lost it.

Mike: No! Never heard.

Mike: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's on the American version. You know, when we practising we like to jam a lot and play old shit, you know like old METALLICA songs or...

Mike: Yeah sure! 'Til "Master of Puppets" and then it's getting weak. Yeah we have a few songs we cover all the time, like old UFO, DEEP PURPLE songs and we did it just for fun. Yeah, it was like a drunken day we did that. We were at party on Saturday. Everybody was like still drunk on Sunday. And we just fool around and play and we just recorded that shit in one day. Cover version and the "Total Desaster" playing in just one day.

Mike: Oh yeah. It was planned yeah. I think THIN LIZZY we should record it for a sampler like Tribute to THIN LIZZY. But I think that sampler is out already now. So we were too late. Uh, it's hard to cover THIN LIZZY. Do you ever heard that new live album of THIN LIZZY? (Not yet! - Ed.). Oh that's great! That's great one, yeah! John Sykes is singing. You know John Sykes of TIGERS OF PAN TANG? (Yes! - Ed.). He singing almost same as Phil Lynott. That's perfect! And you know it's holy shit. What we're planning to do on the new CD. We're planning to cover some DEAD KENNEDYS, "Holiday in Cambodia" and maybe one EXPLOITED song "Fuck the U.S.A.". You know that one? (Yes! It's a funny one. - Ed.). Because we had a US tour and it was fucking bullshit. I hate America! I hate them! America's fucked up! So why not doing that cover version.

Mike: Yeah! It's one week out or two. No just the whole shit we recorded with a different booklet for sure. But you didn't hear how it sells yet? You know. (No, unfortunately. - Ed.). We were on number one import charts at Burn. So that's nice.

Mike: I wanna go there. Yeah, sure! And there's some rumours, they wanna get us over in February or something, but it's not fixed yet. I would like to play there. My girlfriend is from Japan. She lives in Germany. I like sushi a lot!

Mike: Yeah I like.

Mike: Maybe it's like fashion. I don't know. We had really much time for cover artwork this time and you're on a label, was like good working with them.

Schmier: Yeah, because we wanna give to fans value for money, you know. I know that. Everybody is looking for lyrics all the time, old lyrics of DESTRUCTION and didn't get them. So this time we said we have to do that, because this way people gonna be happy about it. So we tried to add to the booklet as many as possible pictures, you know. Many things to see.

Mike: Crossover? That's strange. You heard them, their shit? (No, I've just read it from their web site. - Ed.). I like THE LIE. It's like hard dance music for me, you know, to jump on. I like it. Yeah, we were like looking for a drummer and Schmier known him from a long time. We just tried him as the first one and he was the best, ha-ha... He likes DESTRUCTION, he likes Thrash and likes to play for the fans.

Mike: Yeah! He's listening to DESTRUCTION since his 13 years or something.

Schmier: There's no chance for it. I'm too busy to do it. I mean, whenever we do another album has to be the same people, you know. But maybe one day it's gonna be.

Mike: (Mike also had to say something here, he-he... - Ed.). You know I hope he won't find time to do HEADHUNTER. I hope he's not getting bored or something to do a side project. But things going well at the time. I think he hasn't much time for HEADHUNTER at the moment.

Schmier: Yeah!

Schmier: They are very good in what they're doing. Respect what he's doing. The biggest band from Scandinavia right now. So it's very good.

Mike: They good musicians yeah. But not my style, not my cup of tea. Not really, it's too nice for me.

Schmier: I call it Happy Metal. It's not my kind of music. It's good, it's well done and I can listen to it no problem, but I'm not listen to it at home. You know it's not my kind of music.

Mike: Weil am Rhein it's near Basle, near Swiss border, near French border at south-west.

Mike: They still exist yeah. They changed too. They released something like a new album, but I don't really know. But they still existing.

Mike: THE LIE, ha-ha-ha...

Mike: It's evil! I like it! I want to say about that I like that evil shit and he likes Hieronymus Bosch too and you can see it.

Mike: Yeah sure, I like Havana cigars.

Schmier: He likes Metal, but he's more into computer technology. He's really a big computer freak. That's his life. He used to play bass also and playing in a band, but he hasn't more time for that. And yeah, he's a very talented guy and does very good job for us. And hopefully you know I have him help me out with all things. This part is very good many people from around the world are writing every day to DESTRUCTION, you know. So that's great to keep up the news and stuff.

Mike: No. I'm 35 years old sack (May 11, 1965). I say in Germany I the suck old sack, ha-ha... Schmier is 34 (December 22, 1966). Sven is 21. (Uh! - Ed.). I almost could be his father, yeah. It's funny yeah.

Schmier: Yes! Yeah, I like a lot of kind of food. I like Italian. I think there's a lot of good food in the world. And I've tried to put things of Italian, of European, of international kitchen in my restaurant.

Mike: It's difficult... I can't really say.

Schmier: Favourite lyrics? (Phrase or quotation. - Ed.). Oh that's a good question. Let me see. Uh, it's good question. I don't know. It's many interesting things and words I like. I don't know. Fave just a lot of them. I can't mention one, because it's all standing for good metal things I like. Maybe "Infernal overkill to all the envied souls, death to all religions and their sick goals!".

Mike: Yes I like it! I like Wendy O. Williams the singer of PLASMATICS. Yeah it's American band. Famous in America. We changed it! Some links are different.

Mike: Oh that changes all the time. At the moment I like the new STUCK MOJO. You heard that? I love it! Then I was listening to some SANTANA. Why not or new UFO.

Schmier: Oh there's a lot of good bands I like. I mean all my favourites were always been like old stuff you know, like SLAYER, old JUDAS PRIEST and stuff like this, you know. Yeah, I would like that so. From the newer bands, I don't express. There are a lot of new bands out there. I try to keep my mind open and listen to all kinds of metal; you know all kind of good raw music. Of course I prefer like TESTAMENT and stuff like this, you know. Thrash music! Yes, "The Gathering" is pretty good. But I don't leave in myself too much in one direction you know. If it's progressive music or it's Death or Black Metal or it's only Heavy Metal. (Should be just good. - Ed.). Yes to be good. Good songs, good musicians you know then I am happy. Of course if it gets some much keyboards and too much kalala lalala I don't like it, you know. But I respect of these bands' unique if it's technical musician stuff it's cool.

Mike: Blues! (Yeah! - Ed.). I like Michael Schenker a lot and I like classic guitar too, but in old shit. Like Yngwie Malmsteen it gets me bored, 'cause it's the same all the time, scales. That's getting boring. I try not to be bored.

Mike: Yeah! I like the new UFO and even if Schmier says it's not Metal I like this, ha-ha-ha... You know I'm 35 and my roots are DEEP PURPLE, LED ZEPPELIN and HENDRIX. Why don't tell that.

Mike: I like everything. I am not really into Black Metal that much, but I like IMMORTAL. It's not bad. (But their music nowadays is really thrashy. - Ed.). Yeah, that's why I like them maybe. Huh, yeah I like American Thrash a lot! EXODUS is the best sure and new TESTAMENT is killer! Heavy shit yeah!

Mike: Yeah, we're trying that.

Mike: It's too soon to tell. We just have two new songs now and it's like you never can say before these songs getting out. Gonna be maybe a bit more fast. But you will see. We have to work on that, you know.

Mike: Hopefully we will play there. You know like 8 years ago or something there was some plans to get DESTRUCTION to Ukraine. You know Chernigov that city it's near Chernobyl. There were some plans to get us over to Minsk first and then to Chernigov. But it didn't happen so. It's not so easy. You know that DESTRUCTION without Schmier released two minis and one full-length. I have us some plans, but they wanted us to go by train from Minsk to Chernigov. So, that's not possible. How to do it with guitars and... Maybe Chernigov is not the right place.

Schmier: Yeah, of course. We believe to play in your area some day and hope one day it's gonna be time for it. And we thanks for keeping the spirit and supporting band. That's why we are back now, because the fans wanted to be like this and we really appreciate that. So hail to you out there! See you soon hopefully.