Interview with Dave Overkill of Destructor

Destructor formed in the Cleveland area back in the early 1980’s. They released their debut “Maximum Destruction” back in 1985 which was a very raw and killer example of early thrash. The band broke up in the early1990’s, but have since reformed and just released “Forever in leather” in the fall of 2007. I recently interviewed guitarist/vocalist singer Dave Overkill to find out more about what the band were up to.



MM-So what are you currently up to?
Dave- IN THE FALL OF 2007 DESTRUCTOR HELPED ORGANIZE A FESTIVAL WITH BILL PETERS, THE PRESIDENT OF AUBURN RECORDS, TO CELEBRATE HIS 25 YEARS ON COLLEGE RADIO. BILL HAS HAD A SHOW NAMED “METAL ON METAL”. THE BANDS CONSISTED OF RAVEN, ANVIL,THE EXALTED PILEDRIVER AND US ALONG WITH SOME CLEVELAND FAVORITES. THE SHOW WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. AFTER THAT WE RELEASED THE“FOREVER IN LEATHER”C.D. THE REACTION HAS BEEN GREAT. WE HAVE RECEIVED GOOD REVIEWS AND THE DISTRIBUTION IS THE BEST WE HAVE HAD SO FAR. IT SEEMS TO BE SELLING WELL. A COUPLE OF SHOWS HAVE FOLLOWED SINCE . CURRENTLY DESTRUCTOR IS WRITING NEW SONGS FOR ANOTHER FUTURE RELEASE. WE HOPE TO RE-RELEASE “MAXIMUM DESTUCTION” IN 2008. WE HAVE RECORDED ALL OF THE SONGS THAT WAS TO BE OUR SECOND L.P., DECIBEL CASUALTIES. THAT HAS BEEN DONE SINCE 2002 BUT WE HAVEN’T PUT THAT ONE OUT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO PROVE TO OURSELVES AS WELL AS THE FANS THAT WE WERE BACK AND HAD CURRENT MUSIC TO OFFER THE HEAVY METAL WORLD.

MM-“Forever in leather” has been out for a few months now so what has been so what has been the reaction to it so far?

Dave-WE WANTED TO PRESENT ALL NEW SONGS ON FOREVER IN LEATHER. ON SONIC BULLET AND THE STORM OF STEEL E.P. WE HAD A COUPLE OF NEW SONGS MIXED IN WITH OLDER ONES AS WELL AS LIVE TRACKS. FOREVER IN LEATHER WAS OUR FIRST CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT DESTRUCTOR WAS CURRENTLY ALL ABOUT.

MM-What were you doing in the 1990’s during the time when you didn’t have this band going?

Dave-DESTRUCTOR’S LAST SHOW FROM THE OLD DAYS WAS IN 1992. IT WAS WITH OVERKILL. IN 1990 PAT RABID MAT FLAMMABLE AND I STARTED A PROJECT CALLED “SPACE CORE” IT WAS A FUN BAND THAT PLAYED SPACE ROCK. WE OPENED UP FOR HAWKWIND AND HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH IT THAT AFTER DESTRUCTOR SPLIT PAT AND I KEPT SPACE CORE GOING. IN 1995 I LEFT SPACE CORE AND THEY CHANGED THEIR NAME TO NUCLEON. PAT REMAINED IN NUCLEON UNTILL 1997 OR SO THEN IN 1999 DESTRUCTOR REUNITED.

MM-It’s hard to believe that it has been 23 years since Maximum Destruction came out. Does it seem real to you that it was that long ago?

Dave-IT’S WEIRD. LIFE HAS GONE SO FAST AND MANY CHANGES HAVE HAPPENED OVER TIME. NOW DESTRUCTOR HAS COME FULL CIRCLE AND HAS A NEW LIFE.
MM- Let’s say someone could only afford to buy one of your albums, which one would you recommend and why?

Dave-I WOULD SAY FOREVER IN LEATHER BECAUSE IT SHOWS ALL SIDES OF THE DESTRUCTOR STYLE.I BELIEVE IT IS OUR MOST METAL EFFORT EVER.


MM-What is the music like in Cleveland these days? Any great bands there that we should know about?
Dave-CLEVELAND STILL HAS AN UNDERGROUND METAL SCENE. MANY BANDS HAVE COME AND GONE OVER THE YEARS AND SOME HAVE COME BACK. A COUPLE OF GREAT ONES ARE ETERNAL LEGACY,CELLBOUND, SOULLESS,LICK THE BLADE AND MIDNIGHT.


MM-You are set to play at Wacken this year. How excited are you about that?
Dave-WE LOOK FORWARD TO PLAYING EVERY SHOW WE ACCEPT AND WE HAVE DONE SOME GREAT ONES OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS BUT WACKEN WILL PROVE TO BE THE BIGGEST SHOW YET. THE WHOLE FESTIVAL SCENE IN EUROPE IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD. FOR DESTRUCTOR TO EVEN BE CONSIDERED FOR A SHOW LIKE WACKEN IS ANOTHER DREAM COME TRUE.

MM-In recent years a number of bands like Fueled by fire, Merciless Death and other have popped up. They play an 80’s style of thrash metal. Do you think these band are doing anything that older bands like yourself have not already done or are they copying a style that has already been done?
Dave-WELL THAT’S NOT REALLY FOR ME TO SAY. JUST BECAUSE YOU PLAY OLD SCHOOL STYLE DOESN’T MAKE YOU GOOD IN MY EYES. I LIKE ALL TYPES OF MUSIC AND, TO ME; THERE ARE ONLY GOOD SONGS AND BAD SONGS. THERE IS A LOT OF GREAT METAL RIFFS STILL YET DISCOVERED AND IT’S UP THO THE NEW BLOOD TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.


MM-What have Destructor yet to accomplish that you would like to do?
Dave-DESTRUCTOR WANTS TO TOUR EUROPE AND OTHER COUNTRIES. WE WANT THE CHANCE TO CONTINUE TO SHOW WE ARE BACK AND READY TO KILL. WE HAVE MANY MORE GOOD SONGS TO RECORD AND AS LONG AS WE ARE ABLE AND THERE IS AN INTEREST IN WHAT WE DO WE WILL CONTINUE OUR MISSION OF METAL.



MM-How do you think that the metal scene now is different from say twenty years ago?
Dave-WELL FOR ONE THERE ARE MORE DIFFERENT FORMS OF GREAT METAL MUSIC NOWDAYS.THINGS HAVE PROGRESSED FOR METAL MUSIC A LOT OVER THE PAST 20+ YEARS BUT AS MUCH AS THINGS CHANGE THINGS REMAIN THE SAME. MEANING THAT REAL OLD SCHOOL METAL WILL ALWAYS HAVE AN AUDIENCE. METAL LIVES FOREVER IN THE HEARTS OF THE BELIEVERS.

MM-What newer metal bands do you like?
Dave- I REALLY LIKE MANY OF THE NEW METAL BANDS. SOME SUCH BANDS LIKE AMON AMARTH, RIOTOR, TOXIC HOLOCAUST ARE ON MY LIST.

MM-If you could only listen to three albums for the next month then what albums would you pick?
Dave-UNLEASHED IN THE EAST, (JUDAS PRIEST) , ANOTHER PERFECT DAY ,(MOTORHEAD) AND ODIN ON OUR SIDE, (AMON AMARTH). THAT SHOULD TIE ME OVER I THINK.

MM-Pick the band from the following pair that you prefer and tell why.
Dave-
Destruction or Kreator
KREATOR. I DON’T KNOW WHY!

Judas Priest or Motorhead
I CANT PICK BETWEEN THOSE TWO.IT’S WAY TO HARD.

Breaker or Damien
BREAKER. THOSE ARE MY BOYS. THEY’RE ALMOST LIKE FAMILY.

Anthrax or Slayer
SLAYER. THAT’S A NO BRAINER. ANTHRAX IS GOOD BUT SLAYER ??? COME ON!!!

MM-Is there anything else that you want to say about your band or your music?Dave-DESTRUCTOR ARE JUST GLAD TO BE APART OF METAL AGAIN. THERE SO MANY GREAT BANDS OUT THERE THAT WE JUST LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING MORE MUSIC AND PLAYING IT LIVE. THANKS TO EVERY METALHEAD THAT HAS SHOWN DESTRUCTOR THAT FAITH LASTS FOREVER. I HOPE EVERYONE THAT READS THIS HAS A CHANCE TO PICK UP FOREVER IN LEATHER AND

http://www.myspace.com/maximumdestructor

Thanks to Dave for doing the interview.