Destruction is a German thrash metal band that has been active since 1982. They are one of the pioneers of the genre and have released fourteen studio albums. Their debut album, Infernal Overkill, laid down the foundation of the old-school thrash metal sound and is considered to be a classic in the genre. They earned a cult following in the metal scene with their classic albums Eternal Devastation, Release from Agony, and Cracked Brain. They had a brief hiatus in the late '90s but returned in 1999 with All Hell Breaks Loose. In 2019 they released their fourteenth album, Born to Perish. Destruction has continued to tour and released music consistently throughout their decades-spanning career.