DESTRUCTOR’s Matt Flammable retires following final recording on Tales of Glory

Written by EOS Editorial Team

November 15, 2026

Matt Flammable has announced his retirement from DESTRUCTOR, citing health problems that also prompted his departure from Vulgar Devils. The 70-year-old drummer played on every DESTRUCTOR studio record since the band formed in 1984. His final recorded performance appears on Tales of Glory, the band’s seventh album, released in summer 2026 through Shadow Kingdom Records.

In his statement, Flammable thanked his bandmates and the fans who supported them throughout that time. He described the decision as a difficult transition after a lifetime behind the drums.

“Our latest album, Tales of Glory, was some of my best work, and I wanted to leave on a high note,” Flammable said. “I never expected to still be doing this at 70 years old. I've been playing drums my whole life, and the transition to my next chapter will be a difficult one. Thank you.”

DESTRUCTOR’s statement credited his playing with shaping the group across four decades: “His unique and powerful drumming style helped mold our sound for 42 years, and Matt will be dearly missed.” The band also thanked him for his talents and personality, wished him well and closed with “We love you, Matt.”

The 10-song, 39-minute album brings DESTRUCTOR’s power-thrash toward traditional heavy metal and speed metal. Founding vocalist Dave Overkill described a collaborative writing process that involved former members Nick Annihilator and Jamie Boulder, also known as Athenar of Midnight.

According to Overkill, Boulder approached him about writing together again. Guitarist Mark Hellhound contributed two songs and co-wrote a third with Boulder and Overkill. Bassist Tim Hammer, who had contributed a song to Blood, Bone, and Fire, supplied two songs for Tales of Glory.

“And Matt Flammable came up with some of the best drum parts of his career,” Overkill said.

Overkill also explained the connection between the album’s title and its lyrical presentation: “As I started writing lyrics for the album, I realized there was something cohesive about the flow. I wouldn't say Tales of Glory is a concept record, but my vision of it being a book of old telling some stories was the best way to present this new album.”

DESTRUCTOR formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1984 and released their debut, Maximum Destruction, in 1985. The record reached overseas through a licensing arrangement with Roadrunner Records and attracted interest from Island Records.

Bassist Dave Holocaust was murdered by a stranger in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1988. The prospective major-label deal subsequently did not proceed. DESTRUCTOR continued for several years before disbanding in 1992.

Interest in the group continued after the split, and DESTRUCTOR reunited in 1999. Boulder joined in 2002, before the recording of Sonic Bullet. Subsequent releases included Forever in Leather, the Storm of Steel EP, Back in Bondage and Decibel Casualties, which the announcement credits with renewing the band’s worldwide fanbase.

A deal with Shadow Kingdom Records followed in 2022, leading to the release of Blood, Bone, and Fire in 2023. Tales of Glory is the latest album and the closing recorded chapter of Flammable’s time with the band.