Eternal Devastation

Eternal Devastation arrived a little over a year after Infernal Overkill. Schmier describes the change in sound as natural progress rather than a plan: Mike Sifringer had a wealth of riffs, and Schmier was now writing more of the words, which moved away from the dark outlook of the early songs towards social criticism. "Curse the Gods" takes on religion, and Sifringer calls it a song against war; the label describes "Life Without Sense" as an attack on a society that fails to accept disabled people. Those two are the songs Schmier still names as his favourites on the album. It was recorded in April 1986 at what Schmier remembers as a small studio in the small Bavarian town of Hilpoltstein. He no longer knows who picked it, and says the band was largely left on its own with the producer, credited as Manfred Neuner, who also engineered. Sifringer was after a sharp, aggressive guitar sound and admits the result came out a little extreme, while drummer Tommy Sandmann remembers a turn towards more technical playing with more changes of tempo. Sandmann told the others while they were still in the studio that he would be leaving, which made this the last album by the original trio. Steamhammer released the album in July 1986, and Metal Blade issued it in the United States the same year. The German artist Sebastian Krüger painted the cover from the band's concept, and Sifringer recalls that his girlfriend at the time had suggested Uproaring Devastation as a title. Schmier credits the record with establishing the band in Europe, and it was followed by the band's first headline tour, across Europe with Kreator and Rage, with guitarist Harry Wilkens already on board. A Japanese SHM-CD in a card sleeve appeared on 21 January 2026, its label presenting "Curse the Gods" and "Life Without Sense" as signature songs that are still played live.