DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier has exited PÄNZER, the heavy metal "supergroup" featuring Pontus Norgren (HAMMERFALL) and V.O. Pulver (G.U.R.D., POLTERGEIST) on guitar and Stefan Schwarzmann (ACCEPT, ex-RUNNING WILD) on drums.

Schmier said in a statement: "I had some great fun with PÄNZER the last years, but now it is time for me to move on! Yes, I need to let go.

"I wanna focus a 100% on DESTRUCTION and the upcoming challenges. A new drummer and a new record...

"I wanna thank all the PÄNZER boys and hope they will go on without me, I was never a great heavy metal singer but I had fun doing it!


"Goodbyes are never easy but I need to do this for the sake of my lifetime project, my privacy and my future!

"Thanks to those who supported my PÄNZER years — united we stand! See you hopefully soon on the stages of the world…"

PÄNZER released its second album, "Fatal Command", last October via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Send Them All To Hell" marked PÄNZER's first release since the departure of guitarist Herman Frank (ACCEPT, VICTORY), who left the group to focus on his solo project.

In an interview with Metal Master Kingdom, Schmier said about PÄNZER: "Lineup changes are always a little difficult, but, basically, the backbone of the band didn't change at all; we kept everything rolling. And it's great fun. To me, it's a great alternative to play heavy metal — just straight metal and maybe very German also. And there's no limits; we just do what we want. There's no high expectations that we have to sound like this or that; we just praise the good old fucking metal."

Not surprising. It was obvious that it was just a side-gig for Schmier, and to be honest it surprised me that Hermann Frank left Accept to focus on what was obviously just a side project.