Desaster

Biography

Desaster are a German black/thrash metal band formed in Koblenz in 1988. Their lyrics involve war, hate and Satanism.
In 2025, Graham Hartmann of Metal Injection included the album Tyrants of the Netherworld×Tyrants of the Netherworld2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Intro1:322Nekropolis Karthago4:363Victim of My Force4:234Profanation3:335Sworn to Avenge4:396Tyrants of the Netherworld7:187Call on the Beast4:068Battle Oath5:239Disciples of Darkness3:5010Reign of Tyrants3:12 in his list of "10 Extremely Underrated Metal Albums From The 2000s".

History

Desaster formed in 1988. The band had line-up issues before Infernal, the only remaining original member, found musicians to continue Desaster in 1990. Okkulto and Odin joined the band in 1992.
After the demos The Fog of Avalon and Lost in the Ages (which Alexander von Meilenwald of Nagelfar and The Ruins of Beverast considered to be one of the five most important recordings for the German scene), Merciless Records released a split-7" with Ungod in 1995, the band's vinyl-debut. In 1996, the first album, A Touch of Medieval Darkness×A Touch of Medieval Darkness1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Skyline in Flames (intro)2:212In a Winter Battle5:293A Touch of Medieval Darkness6:024Fields of Triumph5:385Devil’s Sword3:226Into a Magical Night4:317Crypts of Dracul8:518Visions in the Autumn Shades6:179Porter of Hellgate3:5810Home for the Brave (outro)4:52, was released. The line-up for their following release, the 1997 Stormbringer mini-album, included drummer Tormentor.
In 1998, the band released the limited Ride on for Revenge picture-single. One of the songs was also released on the Thrashing Holocaust compilation CD released via Necropolis Records in 1999. Hellfire's Dominion, the second album, was released in 1998, including the song "Metalized Blood" with guest vocals from Wannes of Pentacle, Lemmy of German speed metal band Violent Force, and Toto of Living Death. By the time it was released, Rock Hard journalist Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann considered Desaster the most important German underground black metal band. Götz Kühnemund later called them "Germany's leading black thrashers". During recording sessions for the second album, Desaster recorded the song "Proselytism Real" for the Sodom tribute CD Homage to the Gods, released as a bonus CD of the Code Red album's limited edition.
The band celebrated their 10th anniversary in late 1999 with the Ten Years of Total Desaster double LP. In 2000, they released a split 10-inch with Dutch band Pentacle via Iron Pegasus Records, and their third full-length album, Tyrants of the Netherworld×Tyrants of the Netherworld2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Intro1:322Nekropolis Karthago4:363Victim of My Force4:234Profanation3:335Sworn to Avenge4:396Tyrants of the Netherworld7:187Call on the Beast4:068Battle Oath5:239Disciples of Darkness3:5010Reign of Tyrants3:12, which featured Beliar from Mayhemic Truth as a guest musician.

In summer 2001, Desaster contributed the song "Darkness and Evil" with Sabbat vocalist Gezol on guest vocals for a Brazilian Sabbat tribute LP. After the band had played several festivals (e.g., Fuck the Commerce and Wacken Open Air), vocalist Okkulto left the band and was replaced with Sataniac, former vocalist of German black/thrash band Divine Genocide. The Souls of Infernity 7-inch (2001) was Okkulto's last release with Desaster. Divine Blasphemies, featuring the Divine Genocide cover song "Necrolord" and Kreator singer Mille Petrozza as a guest vocalist on "Nighthawk", was released in 2002. A show in São Paulo, Brazil, in front of 900 spectators was considered "a special highlight of 2003" by the band. A recording of the show was released as a double LP/CD and DVD on Brazilian label Mutilation Records. The band moved to Metal Blade Records and released their fifth album, Angelwhore×Angelwhore22 August 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1The Arrival (intro)2:182The Blessed Pestilence6:573Angelwhore5:324Conqueror's Supremacy6:535Ghouls to Strike3:456Nihilistic Overture6:167Havoc5:288Downfall Be Thy Blade5:439Revelation Genocide5:1710Mourning Path (outro)4:03, in 2005, also released on vinyl via Iron Pegasus Records.
After performances in Germany, England, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland and other countries, a mini-tour through Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Austria and Slovenia and the South American Tour through Brazil, Peru and Colombia, the band released the 12-inch vinyl single Infernal Voices with one new song, the re-recorded "Fields of Triumph", and a cover version of Unleashed's "Before the creation of time".
In May 2007, Desaster entered Harrows Studio, Holland (Asphyx, Pentacle, Occult, Soulburn etc.) to record the sixth studio album, Satan's Soldiers Syndicate. It features guest appearances by Proscriptor (Absu), A.A. Nemtheanga (Primordial) and Ashmedi (Melechesh).

Musical style

When Desaster formed, they were inspired by bands like Venom, Hellhammer and Destruction; the name of the band comes from the Destruction song "Total Desaster". They describe their song "Metalized Blood" as a "neck breaking Speed Metal hymn" and their typical style as "thrashing, blacking riff metal without mercy where there is no space for any innovation and modern elements! It's what Desaster is all about: 'A FIST IN YOUR FACE METAL ATTACK'!" Kühnemund described them as "raw, dirty, honest, heavy and punchy". Desaster's style is closer to traditional thrash metal than to the Norwegian black metal style; although they are often referred to as a black metal band, Frank Stöver considers them a pure thrash metal band whose style, strongly influenced by the old German thrash metal, still sounds "refreshing and honest", unlike many other bands that had black metal roots and then started to play thrash metal. Robert Pöpperl-Berenda described songs like "Victim of My Force", "Tyrants of the Netherworld×Tyrants of the Netherworld2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Intro1:322Nekropolis Karthago4:363Victim of My Force4:234Profanation3:335Sworn to Avenge4:396Tyrants of the Netherworld7:187Call on the Beast4:068Battle Oath5:239Disciples of Darkness3:5010Reign of Tyrants3:12" and "Call on the Beast" as "primordial Teutonic thrash" and "Nekropolis Karthago" as "black metallic rage". With Sataniac's vocals, Desaster sound "still a bit harder and more uncompromising".

Current lineup

Infernal – guitars (1988–1990, 1992–present)
Odin – bass (1992–present)
Guido "Sataniac" Wissmann – vocals (2001–present)
Hont – drums (2018–present)

Former members

Creator Cassie – vocals, bass (1988–1990)
Alexander Arz – drums (1988–1990)
Okkulto – vocals (1992–2001)
Luggi – drums (1992–1995)
Tobias "Thorim" Moelich – drums (1995–1996)
Tormentor – drums (1996–2018)