From Medieval Darkness to Idol Slaying: Desaster’s 36-Year Rampage

From Medieval Darkness to Idol Slaying: Desaster’s 36-Year Rampage

From the medieval darkness of their debut to the scorched earth fury of Kill All Idols, German blackened thrash veterans Desaster have never bowed to trends, leaders, or false gods. Guitarist Marcus aka “Infernal” joins Highwire Daze to talk spontaneous songwriting, punk festival chaos, Eastern European madness, and three decades of underground metal mayhem. With album number ten out now on Metal Blade Records, Desaster prove once again that idols were made to be shattered — and riffs were made to reign.

We’re here with Marcus, aka Infernal, guitarist for the long-running German thrash metal band Desaster. Their new album Kill All Idols is out now on Metal Blade Records.  Let’s start with the new album. Is there a concept behind Kill All Idols?
There’s a bit of a concept, yeah. Some songs deal with what’s happening in the world today. In the past, we had fantasy lyrics — like “Devil’s Sword,” which pulled from biblical imagery with devils and demons. But now, we’re writing about the real hell on earth. Just look around — it’s all happening right here.

The message is simple: we’ve got too many self-proclaimed leaders — politicians, religious figures, influencers on Instagram — all telling people how to live. The album says: kill all idols. Think for yourself. Go your own way. Don’t blindly follow anyone.

You just released “Throne of Ecstasy.” What’s the story behind that track?
Yeah, it dropped today. I really like it — it came out of a jam session in our rehearsal room. Those spontaneous jams often turn into our best songs. It’s got a lot of feeling and it’s classic Desaster: black thrashing madness. That’s the style we’re known for, and this one hits hard.

And the other new track, “Towards Oblivion”?
That one started as a hymn for our fan club, the Stormbringers. The original title was “Stormbringers Attack,” but it evolved into something else. Still, it holds special meaning for me. It’s a speed metal track — very old-school, in the vein of classic speed metal bands. There’s an epic middle section I really love. If people dig these two songs, I think they’ll enjoy the whole album.

You recently played Riez Open Air. How did that go?
It was a cool show — a bit unusual. Riez is mostly a punk and hardcore festival, and they only invite one extreme metal band each year. This time, it was us. We felt honored, but yeah, it was strange. Not many metalheads in the crowd — mostly punks.

Still, they watched our set and seemed to enjoy it. It wasn’t the usual chaos we get at metal shows, but the response was strong, and we sold a lot of merch. So, I think we won them over.

You’re headlining Serbia’s Hellhammer Open Air with Sear Bliss. What are you looking forward to most?
We’re really looking forward to it — especially because it’s paired with another great show: Running Free Festival in Bulgaria. We’ve never played Bulgaria before, so that’s exciting. And Serbia… man, it’s been 20 years since we last played there.

I remember those Eastern European shows — the fans were wild. They didn’t speak much English, but they sang along anyway. Not the lyrics — they sang my guitar melodies! It was like Iron Maiden’s “Fear of the Dark,” when the whole crowd sings the melody. That kind of energy stays with you. I’ve got great memories from those shows, and I think these upcoming ones will be just as powerful.

Have you ever played Los Angeles? What did you think?
Yeah, we did — and it was awesome. We had a great guide showing us around. We hit the Sunset Strip, took photos in the Hollywood Hills, and of course visited the Rainbow Bar & Grill — where Lemmy used to hang out. That was a highlight.

But the wildest memory? During our show, the crowd suddenly stopped watching us and turned their attention to the side of the stage. I looked over and saw two girls in a full-on fight — punching, pulling hair, the works. It was intense. The audience was completely focused on the catfight instead of the band. Totally insane — unforgettable.

A few of your albums are hitting major anniversaries. Let’s start with The Oath of an Iron Ritual, released in 2016. Nearly 10 years later, how do you feel about it?
Honestly, I love every album we’ve made. It’s like being a father — you love all your children equally. The Oath of an Iron Ritual was a strong record, and it holds special meaning because it was the last one with our old drummer, Mr. Tormentor. He’s still a good friend and now plays in Asphyx — he also used to play in Sodom.

There’s a bit of sadness tied to that album because it marked the end of an era with him. But overall, it’s a great release and I’m proud of it.

Let’s go back 20 years to 2005’s Angelwhore. What stands out about that one?
That was our first release on Metal Blade Records. Before that, we were on smaller labels, but in 2005 we joined Metal Blade — and that was a dream come true. I mean, Brian Slagel helped launch Slayer! To be on the same label as Slayer was unreal.

We’ve now had 20 years of solid cooperation with Metal Blade. We’ve never met Brian in person — I hope that happens someday because he’s a legend. But we’ve got great relationships with the American and German offices. They do everything for us, and we really appreciate their work. It’s been a fantastic partnership. Yeah… we’re old farts now!

And nearly 30 years ago, in 1996, you released your debut A Touch of Medieval Darkness. What do you remember about that time?
That was a wild era. We were young, hungry, and totally obsessed with metal. We’re still obsessed — just not so young anymore. We made a lot of mistakes back then. On that first album, we went overboard with distortion and delay — we wanted everything to sound extreme. The production wasn’t perfect, but it’s unique. It has its own character, and we’re still proud of it.

Are you still working with Moontowers?
Yes! We just finished recording our second album, and it’s coming out on Fucking Kill Records — a small German label that puts out really cool underground bands. The plan is to release it in 2025. Fingers crossed.

Back to Kill All Idols — this is Desaster’s 10th studio album. Did you ever imagine you’d get this far?
Never. When we started in ’88 or ’89, we were just kids making noise in a bedroom. We could barely play our instruments. We were imitating our heroes — Venom, especially. We’d say, “You’re Mantas, you’re Abaddon,” and just thrash around.

Nobody would’ve believed we’d still be here 36 years later, releasing album number 10. It’s unbelievable.

Any message for Desaster fans in the U.S. reading this now?
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the new album. I’m not here to promote it to become a millionaire — that ship has sailed. Just rip it off the internet or steal it from a record store and give it a listen.

We put everything into this one. It’s special for us, and I hope our American fans feel that too.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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