Destruction - Mad Butcher 12" Vinyl EP Album

"Mad Butcher," the first song of the album, is a Destruction classic, but this revision is faster, with double solos from Harry and Mike. The second song "The Damned" is a cover song from The Plasmatics. The third song "Reject Emotions" is a thrash ballad. Finally, "The Last Judgement" is an instrumental song played by Harry. 

High Resolution Photo #1 DESTRUCTION Mad Butcher  

"Mad Butcher": A Thrash Metal Mini-Album With a Bite
Album Descripion

Released in 1987, amidst the peak of thrash metal's global dominance, Destruction's "Mad Butcher" EP served as a bridge between their earlier raw aggression and their evolving sound. While not a full-length album, this 12" vinyl release cemented the band's position in the Teutonic thrash scene and showcased their evolving musicality.

Historical Context

By 1987, thrash metal had firmly established itself as a major force in heavy music. The "Big Four" (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax) were at their peak, and countless bands worldwide were following in their footsteps. In Germany, Destruction had already released two critically acclaimed albums, "Infernal Overkill" and "Eternal Devastation," solidifying their place alongside Sodom and Kreator as leaders of the Teutonic thrash movement.

Musical Exploration

"Mad Butcher" is a four-track EP that clocks in at just under 18 minutes, but it packs a punch. The title track, a re-recording of a song from their debut album, is a ferocious thrash anthem with lightning-fast riffs, pummeling drums, and Schmier's signature aggressive vocals.

The EP also features a cover of The Plasmatics' "The Damned," showcasing Destruction's ability to put their own spin on another band's material. "Reject Emotions" is a slower, more melodic track that hints at the band's future exploration of different styles. The instrumental "The Last Judgement" highlights the band's technical proficiency and features a blistering guitar solo by new member Harry Wilkens.

Production and Personnel

"Mad Butcher" was recorded at Karo Musikstudio in Münster, Germany, with Kalle Trapp handling production, recording, and mixing duties. The production is cleaner and more polished than the band's earlier releases, reflecting a growing trend in thrash metal towards a more professional sound.

The lineup for "Mad Butcher" saw some changes from the band's previous albums. While Schmier remained on vocals and bass, Mike Sifringer was joined by Harry Wilkens on guitars, and Oliver "Olly" Kaiser took over on drums. These changes brought a fresh energy to the band's sound, with Wilkens' guitar playing adding a new dimension to their dual-guitar attack.

Controversies

The cover art for "Mad Butcher," depicting a butcher wielding a cleaver and surrounded by dismembered body parts, caused some controversy upon release. Some retailers refused to stock the album, and it was banned in several countries. However, the artwork has since become iconic in the metal community, symbolizing the band's uncompromising attitude and their willingness to push boundaries.

Music Genre:

 Thrash Metal Music 

Album Production Details:

Album cover artwork by: Sebastian Krüger

  • Sebastian Krüger – Painter, illustrator (album cover art)

    The 1980s metal scene got some of its most unhinged (in the best way) cover art thanks to his razor-sharp caricature-realism.

    Sebastian Krüger, born June 30, 1963 in Hamelin (Germany), is the rare artist who can make a face look hyper-real and totally distorted at the same time—like reality got remixed and mastered. After studying free painting at the Braunschweig University of Fine Arts, he built his early reputation in commercial illustration (press work and LP covers) before stepping back to focus on painting; in the 1990s he also collaborated with the Italian political magazine L’Espresso. For us record nerds, his metal-era “runs” are basically a greatest-hits list of late-80s chaos: Destruction (1986–1990), Tankard (1987–2005), Running Wild (1988–1989), Risk (1988–1990), plus one-off punches like Sodom (1988) and Steeler (1988), and even Hobbs Angel of Death (1988–1990). Outside metal, he’s famously linked to lifelike, exaggerated portraits—especially The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards is basically a recurring character). Sebastian Krüger Wiki

    • Album Produced by Kalle Trapp

  • Kalle Trapp – Producer, engineer, musician

    I hear his fingerprints all over the steel-plated rise of German heavy metal in the 1980s.

    Kalle Trapp was the studio alchemist who helped give German metal its hard edge and roomy, iron-walled punch. From my side of the glass, he looks like one of the quiet architects of the scene: first a late-1960s bassist in Wonderland, then the man behind Karo Studio in the 1980s. I hear his stamp on Mad Max from 1984 to 1987, on Destruction in 1987, on Assassin and Violent Force in 1987, on Pestilence, Grinder and Sieges Even in 1988, and most famously on Blind Guardian from 1988 to 1993, from "Battalions of Fear" through "Tokyo Tales". He later turned up with Saxon in 1990, 1995 and 1997, proof that his production style had both muscle and staying power.

    Kalle Trapp Wiki
    		•

     Record Label: 

    Steamhammer SH 0062

     Record Format:

    45rpm 12" Mini-LP / EP  

    Year & Country:

      1987 Made in Germany

     

    Band Members and Musicians on: Destruction Mad Butcher
      Band-members, Musicians and Performers
    • Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer – Vocals, Bass

      That rasp and that pick attack: the sound of a club PA begging for mercy.

      Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer is the rasp-throated bassist-frontman who turned Destruction into a blunt instrument you can actually hum. I hear his barked vocal phrasing like a siren riding on top of that pick-driven low end—pure Teutonic grit, no perfume. He drove the classic Destruction era through the 1980s, then stepped out in 1989 to form Headhunter (1989–1999), returning to Destruction in 1999 and staying the constant voice and bass punch ever since. On a live document like "Live Without Sense" he’s the ringmaster: counting off mayhem, punching the choruses, and keeping it locked to the kick drum. Side quests like Bassinvaders (late 2000s) and Pänzer (mid-2010s) show the same attitude: tight, loud, and allergic to nonsense.

    • Harry Wilkens – Guitars

      Second guitar, first line of defense when the tempo goes feral.

      Harry Wilkens is the late-80s second guitar in Destruction, stepping into the blast zone just when the band’s live set turned from fast to ferocious. To me his role on "Live Without Sense" is the extra blade in the two-guitar attack: tightening the rhythm wall, doubling the hooky figures, and giving Sifringer room to throw leads without the bottom dropping out. Credited with Destruction from 1987–1990, he’s part of that era’s snap-and-snarl sound—less studio polish, more stage sweat—where every chord change has to land on the drummer’s boot. Hear it in the locked chugs and the quick harmony stabs: practical, muscular playing that keeps the songs upright while the crowd tries to knock them over.

    • Oliver "Olly" Kaiser – Drums

      The drum seat that turned Destruction from “fast” into “frighteningly controlled”.

      Oliver "Olly" Kaiser is Destruction’s precision bruiser on drums, the guy who stepped in when the band needed more than speed. To my ears his 1987–1999 run with Destruction is where the kick-drum gets disciplined and the fills start talking back, from "Mad Butcher" and "Release from Agony" (1987) straight into the sweat-soaked punch of "Live Without Sense" (1989). On this album he locks the double-time like a vice, keeping the riffs upright while the crowd tries to knock them sideways. That tightness is why the LP still feels dangerous without turning to mud on a turntable. Later Destruction recordings (2009–2012) also carry his stamp, and he even took producer duties during the "Cracked Brain" sessions (1990).

     

    Complete Track Listing of: Destruction Mad Butcher
      Side One:
    • Mad Butcher
    • The Damned
      Side Two:
    • Reject Emotions
    • The Last Judgement

     

    Album Cover Photo Gallery of: Destruction Mad Butcher
    Photo of Front Cover 
    High Resolution Photo #1 DESTRUCTION Mad Butcher  
    Photo of Destruction's band members: Schmier, Harry and Olly on the album cover  
    High Resolution Photo #2 DESTRUCTION Mad Butcher  
    Photo of Record Label 
    High Resolution Photo #3 DESTRUCTION Mad Butcher  

     Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash. Images can be zoomed in/out ( eg pinch with your fingers on a tablet or smartphone ).

     

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