Hellhammer
Formed: 1982
From:
Switzerland
Last Known Status: Disbanded
Latest Hellhammer News
Below is our complete Hellhammer news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Displaying records 1 - 20 of 28 1 2 Last
Brutal Assault Unveils 23 Additional Bands
Legendary death metal act Carcass is set to make a triumphant return to the Fortress after a five-year hiatus. Joining them is Cytotoxin, promising an onslaught of toxic and brutal death metal. Death/goregrind force from Belgium Aborted will join the lineup alongside Sweden's Dark Tranquillity, renowned for their signature Gothenburg melodic death metal sound. Vltimas, the apocalypse riders, will complete this imaginary death metal circle.
American band Escuela Grind will bring chaos with their grindcore, followed by Misery Index and Rotten Sound, known for their mixes of death and grind genres. The onslaught will culminate with Pig Destroyer.
Representing the black metal genre are American act Akhlys, underground sensation Yellow Eyes, and folk psychedelic ensemble Hexvessel.
From the gothic scene, the lineup will welcome industrial favorites Deathsars and the post-punk-tinged Unto Others. Finnish melodic outfit Kalmah will arrive from the dark swamps, and heavy-rock-metal band Soil will come from overseas. Cynic, known as "tech metallers," will present a special Focus set in celebration of the re-release of their iconic debut album. Additionally, acts like Master Boot Record, with their 8-bit computer sounds, and the brutally honest post-hardcore group Svalbard will offer their unique musical perspectives.
Prepare for some hardcore action as Madball makes a comeback to Brutal Assault, after six years, promising a lively moshpit. Also making their debut at BA are established bands like Cancer Bats, Show Me The Body known for their innovative musical identity, and This Is Hell, recognized for their intense and energetic live performances in the metal punk scene.
Newly Announced Bands: More...
Triumph Of Death (Hellhammer) Premie Music Video
Triumph Of Death, the Hellhammer tribute band led by Tom Gabriel Warrior, has unveiled a video for their cover of the Hellhammer song "Massacra." Notably, Warrior was the original frontman of Hellhammer. Check out now "Massacra" streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you below.
A selection of Triumph Of Death's tribute concerts to Hellhammer in 2023, including appearances at the 'Hells Heroes Festival' in Houston, TX, the 'Dark Easter Metal Meeting' in Munich, Germany, and the 'SWR Barroselas Metal Fest' in Barroselas, Portugal, have been compiled for an upcoming live album titled "Resurrection Of The Flesh: Triumph Of Death Live, 2023." This album is scheduled for release on November 10th.
Warrior shared his thoughts on this initial video release: More...
Warrior’s Hellhammer Tribute Band: Dates Announced
Hellhammer tribute band Triumph Of Death - led by the band’s former mainman Tom Gabriel Fischer (also of Triptykon/Celtic Frost fame) - announce their first two debut live shows which will precede a series of festival appearances during this summer.
06/19 Frankfurt, GER – Nachtleben
06/20 Essen, GER – Zeche Carl
06/21 Clisson, FRA – Hellfest
06/23 Varniai, LIT – Kilkim Zaibu Festival
08/01 Wacken, GER – Wacken Open Air
08/07 Obermehler-Schlotheim, GER – Party.San Festival
08/09 Jaromer, CZE – Brutal Assault Festival
08/17 Las Vegas, NV – Psycho Las Vegas
Triumph Of Death is: More...
Tom Warrior To Perform Hellhammer Set
Hellhammer existed for a mere two years, from May 1982 to May 1984. During this time, the band wrote material for three demos, one 12" EP, and the legendary Death Metal compilation album, along with a number of unrecorded songs.
In light of Hellhammer's now mythically iconic status in the global metal scene, it is almost inconceivable that most of this music has never been performed live.
Hellhammer's successor group, Celtic Frost, formed by ex-Hellhammer members Tom Gabriel Warrior and Martin Eric Ain, initially played two of Hellhammer's songs but soon abandoned this habit due to the band rapidly developing its own material. Tom Gabriel Warrior's Triptykon, founded in 2008, have played one or the other rare Hellhammer song during special occasions. The vast body of Hellhammer's work remains unperformed, however.
Until now. More...
Column
Thrashback Thursday: Satanic Rites
I've said before how despite the name, Thrashback Thursday won't be entirely dedicated to thrash metal. In today's case, we're making an ever so slight departure from the style, to look at one of the most influential proto black metal bands ever, all the more impressive when you consider they never released an album. Hellhammer was formed by Thomas Gabriel Fischer in Switzerland in 1981 and would release three demos over three years before transforming into the much more critically revered, Celtic Frost. This week, we're looking at the title track from their third and final demo, "Satanic Rites," which was their first to feature the recently passed bassist Martin Eric Ain.
While many point to "Messiah" as the essential Hellhammer track which sums up the band (and perhaps it does,) "Satanic Rites" does perhaps just as much in this respect. It begins with a build which would be more atmospheric were it not for the poor production quality, a staple trait of Hellhammer and indeed the early black metal genre which they helped mold. Before long, it explodes into a catchy but nonetheless chaotic riff, accompanied by the grunting and shrieking of Tom Fisher (aka Tom Warrior.) Warrior would later claim in the "A Dying God" documentary that he was embarrassed by the lyrics to this song and a scan over them reveals why; A series of stanzas which are perverse, yet oddly cringe worthy. While BDSM participants would no doubt find delight in the lines, "Be a good girl, And just do what I say, I whip you 'till you faint," less welcomed are lyrics about cutting off children's legs.
All of this however is what made Hellhammer great. At the time, such lyrics were even more shocking than they are now and had it been Hellhammer that signed with Noise Records rather than its successor Celtic Frost, where Warrior really came into his own as a superb lyricist, the PMRC would have been ringing wet at the prospect of taking them on. The messy sound and raw production was a result of young men (Martin Ain was only fifteen at the time) still learning their craft and budget contraints, which just like Venom before them and Bathory around the same time, proved to be an extraordinarily vital component to the Norwegian black metal sound. More...
Tom Warrior Comments On Martin Ain's Death
Following the news earlier today that former Hellhammer and Celtic Frost bass player Martin Eric Ain has died at the age of fifty, his former bandmate Tom G. Fischer (AKA Tom Warrior,) has posted his thoughts online via his blog.
"I am deeply affected by Martin Eric Ain's passing. Our relationship was very complex and definitely not free of conflicts, but Martin's life and mine were very closely intertwined, since we first met in 1982. My life will be painfully incomplete without his existence.
"Today, when Reed and I talked about Martin's death on the phone, Reed said to me: "Now, there's only the two of us." It completely broke my heart."
To read the full post, head to the fischerisdead blogspot page.
Hellhammer Releasing "Blood Insanity"
Century Media Records & Prowling Death Records are proud to announce the joint release of Hellhammer's previously unreleased "Blood Insanity" 7" vinyl single.
Originally conceived by the band in 1984, this piece of metal history will finally see a worldwide release on August 19th, 2016 with pre-sale being launched via CM Distro on July 22nd. This "Blood Insanity" release is limited to a one-time only pressing of 3,000 copies.
Tom Gabriel Warrior comments: "In early 1984, after Hellhammer's third demo 'Satanic Rites,' Hellhammer bassist/singer Steve Warrior, Hellhammer roadie Marco Dinosaur Suremann, and I contemplated properly releasing some of the music Hellhammer had recorded the year before. We planned a NWOBHM-style 7" vinyl single, containing two songs taken from the Triumph Of Death demo recording sessions of June 1983.
"The single was to feature 'Blood Insanity' as a title track, and 'Maniac' as its b-side. The cover of the single was to be a photo taken by Hellhammer photographer Martin Kyburz in early 1983. We drafted a brief typewriter memo, recording the outline for this single proposal.
"At the time, it was difficult and prohibitively expensive for a band to directly contract a manufacturing plant to produce a vinyl record without the involvement of a record company, so the single eventually remained a mere idea, while Hellhammer ultimately signed with Noise Records in West Berlin. The 'Blood Insanity' single project thus languished in an unrealized state until the eventual dissolution of Hellhammer rendered any plans for further Hellhammer releases redundant. More...
OpEd
1985-1995: The Golden Age of Death Metal
Death should be credited with creating death metal, at least the old school style we recognize now, as they birthed the infamous Tampa, Florida sound. Bands such as Autopsy and Obituary—two of the forerunners—would not exist without Death. Death is not the true father of death metal, though. That distinction goes to Possessed. The California Bay Area group not only played a style of brutal, vicious metal, with loads of Satanic imagery, they also coined the term “death metal” on the “Seven Churches” album.
Around 1985, albums similar to “Slowly We Rot” (Obituary) and “Mental Funeral” (Autopsy) simply did not exist. Thrash was the fasted, craziest music around. Of course Possessed has already been mentioned, but the influence of Slayer, who obviously influenced Possessed, can not be under recognized. Where Possessed was different was they used a rougher production. Dark Angel, whose drummer, Gene Hoglan, would go on to be one of the most heralded drummers in the metal biz, certainly showed a good dose of Slayer in their sound. In the beginning, Slayer was nothing more than a faster, nefarious, more solo-oriented Venom protégé. More...
Triptykon Reveals New EP, "Shatter," Details
TRIPTYKON, the group formed by former Hellhammer/Celtic Frost singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Warrior, is to follow its highly acclaimed debut album "Eparistera Daimones" with the release of "Shatter," an all-new 5-track EP, on October 25 (Europe) and 26 (North America), 2010. At a playing time of approximately 28 minutes, Shatter will consist almost entirely of previously unreleased music. The EP's track listing is as follows:
1. "Shatter"
2. "I Am The Twilight"
3. "Crucifixus"
Recorded during the Eparistera Daimones album sessions in 2009. “Crucifixus” appears in a newly mixed and mastered version.
4. "Circle Of The Tyrants" (Live)
5. "Dethroned Emperor" (Live)
Cover versions of Celtic Frost songs, recorded live during TRIPTYKON's headliner performance at the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands, on April 16, 2010. "Dethroned Emperor" features guest lead vocals by Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone/Sarke. More...
Column
Sunday Old School: Hellhammer
Very few bands are able to amass a cult following having never released a proper album. Fewer still can be credited with being a key influence in not one, but two genres. No ordinary metal band could achieve such praise, but then Hellhammer were not an ordinary band. The band formed under the name Hammerhead in the Swiss capital of Zurich by guitarist and vocalist Tom G. Fischer (aka Tom Warrior) and bassist Urs Sprenger (aka Steve Warrior,) along with drummer Pete Stratton and took influence from many British bands such as Black Sabbath, Venom, Angel Witch and Raven. Before long, Stratton had left the band, to be replaced by drummer Jörg Neubart (a.k.a. "Bruce Day") and the group changed their name to Hellhammer. This lineup of the band recorded two demos, "Death Fiend" and "Triumph Of Death," but only released the latter initially, sending it to record labels and magazines, finding little to no positive feedback at first.
After the recording of the first two demos, bassist Urs Sprenger left the group to be replaced by former Schizo bass player Martin Eric Ain. Ain and Fischer began working together to break away from the confines that they felt Hellhammer imposed on them, taking the band in a more radical direction and recording one more demo entitled, "Satanic Rites," before their first commercial release, the "Apocalyptic Raids" EP. The release was not very successful initially, but ultimately proved to be a huge influence on many metal bands, especially in the black and death metal genres. The band decided to call it a day three months after this release, with Fischer and Ain resurfacing in Celtic Frost, another hugely influential band.
Although Hellhammer was widely slated in their time, they have since been regarded as one of the most important bands in the history of extreme metal. Many bands have covered Hellhammer in the past, including such big names as Sepultura and Napalm Death, as well as Tom Fischer himself during his time with Apollyon Sun, the band he formed after the first Celtic Frost breakup and in 2008, a compilation album was released entitled, "Demon Entrails" which featured all three demos. More...
Tom Fischer Wins Golden God Award In London
Thomas G. Fischer (aka Tom G. Warrior,) the founder of the legendary metal bands Celtic Frost and Hellhammer, and most recently Triptykon, was honoured in London this week when he received the prestigious Golden God award for inspiration. The award was presented to him at the Indigo2/O2 Arena by Cathedral frontman Lee Dorrian. When accepting the award, Fischer stated:
"In my opinion, however, I don't deserve this award. It should instead go to Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Angel Witch, and Venom, artists who have inspired me and without whom I would not be here tonight."
You can see the full list of winners below: More...
Tom Fischer In "Secret History Of Black Metal"
England's Terrorizer magazine has launched what is likely to become a separate quarterly specialist publication to complement the main magazine. The first issue, published in September 2009, is dedicated to "The Secret History Of... Black Metal." The 96-page magazine features various references to Hellhammer and Celtic Frost as well as a dedicated interview with Hellhammer/Celtic Frost/Triptykon guitarist/singer Tom Gabriel Fischer. A sidebar in the feature assesses the most significant Hellhammer and Celtic Frost releases, rating Celtic Frost's "Monotheist" album of 2006 as "Arguably, the metal album of the decade... This is darkness."
Triptykon To Begin Recording Debut Album
Triptykon, the group formed by Tom Gabriel Warrior after his departure from Celtic Frost in April of 2008, is scheduled to commence studio recording sessions for a first album in mid-August 2009. The album, tentatively titled Eparistera Daimones, will mainly be recorded in southern Germany, with additional recording sessions to take place in Switzerland. Produced by Warrior and Triptykon guitarist V. Santura, the recording and mixing sessions are expected to continue until November 2009. The album is currently scheduled for release in spring of 2010, through the group’s own label, Prowling Death Records (home of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost).
Songs currently under consideration for inclusion on Triptykon's debut album are, among others, "Myopic Empire", "Among Veiled Spirits", "Sepultus", "Abyss Within My Soul", "Goetia", "A Thousand Lies", and the 17-minute "The Prolonging."
Triptykon will follow the release of Eparistera Daimones with a number of festival appearances and a full tour. The group’s onstage debut is scheduled to take place as part of the renowned Roadburn Festival, in April 2010.
Tom Gabriel Warrior Named Curator For Roadburn '10
Holland's Roadburn festival has announced that Tom Gabriel Warrior, founder of Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, and Triptykon has agreed to act as the curator for the Roadburn festival on Friday, April 16, 2010, and host a special event at Roadburn, called Only Death Is Real.
Tom's duties as curator include personally selecting the bands that will play on Only Death Is Real, as well as to perform the first major headlining set with his latest incarnation, Triptykon. Tom will be Roadburn’s third curator, following up on David Tibet in 2008 and Neurosis earlier this year.
The Roadburn Festival organizers further comment:
"We are overjoyed to have secured Tom's involvement in Roadburn this year, as he stands as a truly groundbreaking artist, with his previous bands having been extremely divisive, as is often the case with truly unique and original works of art. Ultimately his canon of work would prove not only legendary but hugely inspirational for an entire generation of musicians in the metal, doom and dark psychedelic scenes.
"Tom has always enjoyed pushing the envelope musically and challenging boundaries, and it was entirely that mindset that made him a perfect fit to act as our curator. It has been a constant goal of ours to keep Roadburn a festival that not only celebrates the established but charts new territory, and we could think of no better spirit guide than Tom Gabriel Warrior. We are looking forward to the new ideas that he will bring to our festival, as we feel that we are truly kindred spirits."
Tom Gabriel Warrior commented: "It is a surprise and an honor to be asked by Roadburn to act as a curator, and I am accepting this extraordinary opportunity with much gratitude and due humility. In my eyes, Roadburn is one of the most courageous and artistic festivals in existence, and its history is, in essence, a list of concerts by groups I deeply admire. It is quite a challenge to follow such footsteps, both as a curator and as a musician. I will try my very best to ensure that the groups I intend to propose to the organizers of Roadburn will be as ravishingly dark, unique, and exciting to the festival's visitors as they are to me."
Roadburn 2010, including Tom Gabriel Warrior's Only Death Is Real, will run for three days from Thursday, April 15 to Saturday, April 17 at the 013 venue and Midi Theatre in Tilburg, Holland. There will be an additional afterburner event on Sunday, April 18, 2010.
New Photo Book About Celtic Frost Announced
Bazillion Points Books have announced that they will be releasing a photographic history book of former Hellhammer and Celtic Frost front man Tom Gabriel Fischer. The book, which will be titled "Only Death Is Real: An Illustrated History Of Hellhammer And Early Celtic Frost," will be released in November of 2009. The cover of the book and several interior photos can be viewed here.
Sarke, Tom Gabriel Warrior Join Forces At Wacken
Norway's Sarke, featuring Nocturno Culto (Darkthrone) and Sarke (Tulus, Khold), will be joined by legendary Tom Gabriel Warrior (Triptykon, ex-Celtic Frost and Hellhammer) for their performance on this year's Wacken Open Air. Together, they will perform the Celtic Frost classic "Dethroned Emperor."
The Sarke band comments: "We are all massive fans of Tom and his music, and we are honored to share the stage with him at Wacken!"
Tom Gabriel Warrior adds: "It's an honor and a privilege to be invited to appear onstage with Sarke, a group whose line-up doesn't only contain personal friends but also musicians I respect deeply. We shall make our appearance at Wacken a truly special event!"
Since the recording of their debut album, "Vorunah," Sarke has grown to become a real band, and the live line-up is now officially part of the band. Sarke's line-up is completed with Asgeir Mickelson (Spiral Architect, Thornbound, ex-Borknagar), Cyrus (Susperia) and Anders Hunstad (El Caco, Autopulver, Morten Abel). The band is already working on new material, and a new album is expected in 2010.
Ex-Celtic Frost Mainman Faces Name Disupute
Legendary metal frontman Tom Fischer (aka Tom G. Warrior), who founded the bands Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Apollyn Sun and most recently, Triptykon, has been sent an email requesting he cease using his long time alias "Tom Warrior." A message from Fischer reads as follows:
"Late one night in May of 1982, bassist/singer Urs Sprenger and I founded HELLHAMMER and adopted the stage names Steve Warrior and Tom Gabriel Warrior. I still use that name - in parallel with my actual surname - as I have done on and off for 27 years. In many ways, it has become synonymous with significant parts of my life and work, and it is the name our audiences invariably call me.
"This week, I received the following e-mail to my personal MySpace account:
More...
Triptykon/Ex-Celtic Frost Mainman Checks In
Tom Fischer, founder of the legendary metal bands Celtic Frost and Hellhammer, has checked in with an update on his forthcoming new band, Triptykon. His message reads as follows:
"Of course my own opinion is biased, and of course I am not really entitled to rate the results of our own work. But it is difficult not to emerge from our sessions at Triptykon's rehearsal bunker deeply intoxicated by the heaviness of the dark, overwhelming, and morbid miasma that is the riffs of 'The Prolonging'. Although the path towards completion is still significant, be it for this new song, its title and lyrics, or the album proper it will appear on, it all transpires as it should. It is as it has to be."
1349 Reveal Details on New Album Activities
Norwegian black metal band 1349 have just posted the following announcement on MySpace:
"1349 are currently putting their last touch to the band's new album entitled 'Revelations of the Black Flame,' [the] follow-up to 2005's 'Hellfire.' As [with] both 'Hellfire' and 'Beyond the Apocalypse,' the album is [going to be] recorded at Studio Studio Nyhagen, and co-mixed by none other than Tom Gabriel Fischer.
"No release date is scheduled as of yet, but the album is due sometime during the first half of 2009.
Century Media Celebrates 20th Anniversary
2008 has become an extremely exciting year in the history of Century Media Records, one of the world's most respected independent homes for heavy music, as the label is celebrating its 20th anniversary!
The company's Anniversary year started off with an extremely successful, first-ever yard sale/party at the Century Media office in Dortmund (Germany) in June, where several hundred guests partied out on exclusive live shows by Angel Dust and Turisas. A video with impressions from the event can be seen at this location. A photo gallery for this event can be viewed here.
To further celebrate this anniversary Century Media Records will release the very special 2CD compilation "Covering 20 Years Of Extremes" on September 15th in Europe and on October 14th in North America. The various artists covers-release includes 32 mostly exclusive recordings and will be available in stores for the price of one CD. Sticking to the "keep it in the family" slogan, CM approached their artists about covering songs from other acts within the label's repertoire and the response from the musicians was overwhelming.
Some choices were obvious and homages to the bands that influenced them, others were inspired picks. This combination ended up leading to a heavily entertaining and truly special final result across all sub-genres of heavy music.
Here is the tracklisting: More...