DESTRUCTION - Mad Butcher (Marbled Vinyl) (LP)

Destruction's second EP "Mad Butcher" first came out in 1987 via
Steamhammer; here Destruction's now-iconic band mascot made his first
visual appearance. Moreover, it was the first Destruction release with the
two new band members, Oliver Kaiser on drums and new guitarist Harry
Wilkens. Original guitarist Mike Sifringer explains why Destruction had
decided to extend the band into a four-piece and to include a second
guitarist: "Harry was playing in a local band called Razor's Edge and was
known for his great guitar skills. He was the best lead player around and he
was able to play this technical, classical stuff. We thought his style would fit,
and the music could possibly become more interesting with two guitars."
Schmier reports how the two new members got into the band and what their
influence on the song writing and the whole interpersonal fabric of
Destruction was: "They brought in a lot of new influences and we wanted to
move forward. Both were skilled musicians, so we were happy to take the
next step up the ladder. Also, both came from our region which was very
important for the band's chemistry. We had to replace Tommy because he
left the band, and somehow Harry - who already came in for the ETERNAL
tour with Kreator - was a friend of Oli's, and so one thing led to another..."
One of the most striking things about the EP is the re-recorded version of
"Mad Butcher" with the new double-solos by Mike and Harry, and of course
the Pink Panther theme that closes the song in a very humorous way. Oli
tells us how it all came about and why they thought it was necessary to
remake the first version: "The first songs Schmier, Mike and Harry were
jamming along to with me - as the possible new drummer - were 'Mad
Butcher' and 'Reject Emotions'. Schmier knew that there was more potential
in some of the 'old' songs like 'Mad Butcher', which was part of the current
live set and a perfect song to check on how I would be doing with the speed
stuff. At the same time they were working on an expanded solo to feature
Harry's outstanding talent. It turned out so well that it became clear it should
be recorded anew this way since it reflected how the band was progressing
musically. The original version on 'Sentence of Death' was only about two
years old, back then nobody thought of it as a cult version that should be
left untouched forever. The 'Pink Panther' theme came out of the blue,
Harry played it just for fun and I joined on the drums adding a hard rock feel
as a joke."