The impact of Swiss extreme metal forefathers, Hellhammer, is one that still resonates around the global metal scene today, such was their influence on the early extreme, death, and black metal genres. Celtic Frost, the successor group formed by Hellhammer founding member Tom Gabriel Warrior and former Hellhammer bassist Martin Eric Ain, would sporadically play a Hellhammer song or two, and Warrior’s current band, Triptykon, have played the occasional Hellhammer song live, but the vast body of Hellhammer's work remained unperformed, until the inception of Triumph Of Death.
In an upcoming BraveWords feature, Warrior was asked how influential was Hellhammer to what would eventually be known as the black metal genre?
“You cannot possibly ask me that,” he responded. “I’m not going to comment on how influential a band of mine or my songwriting was – this would be utterly preposterous. People tell me such things all the time, and it’s difficult for me to grasp this, because my career was far from easy – there were a lot of ups and downs. And especially the beginning of Hellhammer was a struggle – both as aspiring musicians and also all of us in our private lives at the time. Hence, the extremity of Hellhammer – we carried a lot of anger and frustration and pain from our private lives at the time into the band and released it there. So, it was such a personal underground thing that I never looked at it as a global thing – and much less am able to really grasp what people bestow upon me as far as titles are concerned. It’s really up to you – journalists – to access the importance or non-importance of Hellhammer. I cannot comment on that.”
Stay tuned for our major Hellhammer/Triumph Of Death feature in the coming days.
The resurrection of the music of Hellhammer had been an idea Tom Gabriel Warrior and Martin Eric Ain discussed for many years, sparked not least by their renewed collaboration in the reformed Celtic Frost in the 2000s. The first steps towards the realization of Triumph Of Death, named after Hellhammer's most infamous song and intended to be a very respectful and authentic tribute to Hellhammer, were finally taken in 2014, and the band was officially founded in autumn of 2018.
Triumph Of Death consists of individuals who not only love the music in question but truly understand it. The lineup emulates Hellhammer's final incarnation of April/May 1984, when the group had added an additional guitarist. To date Triumph Of Death have performed numerous notable concerts globally and have brought the seminal music of Hellhammer to fans both old and new. Many of whom thought they may never see it live on stage.
Triumph Of Death’s debut live release, Resurrection Of The Flesh, is the culmination of three concerts. Recorded in the spring of 2023 at Hell’s Heroes Festival in Houston, Texas, Dark Easter Metal Meeting in Munich, Germany and SWR Barroselas Metal Fest in Portugal, the album was produced by Tom Gabriel Warrior and Triptykon's V. Santura. The record captures the band at their primeval finest; raw, foreboding and heavy. The songs may date back four decades but here they are revealed to be still just as vital today as when they were written in the band’s infamous rehearsal bunker in the rural village of Birchwil, Switzerland in the early 1980s. From the thunderous opening chords of "Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation)" to the malevolent, morbid feedback of set closer "Triumph Of Death", this album is a sixty minute document of the overwhelming power of the live performance of Triumph Of Death, and it captures the spirit and intensity of these historic songs that have transcended decades to become revered and timeless.
Warrior: "This album is, most importantly, testament to the unique connection that exists between the audience and this band. Hellhammer's music was an underground token in 1982 to 1984, often ridiculed and shunned, and we owe the fact that we are now able to perform it all across the globe entirely to grace, openness, and enthusiasm of those who make exactly these concerts possible. They give us as much as we given them, and my gratitude to them knows no limits."
Listen to the track "Messiah" below, and for special ore-orders and exclusive merch bundles, head here.
Resurrection Of The Flesh will be available as:
- Deluxe CD mediabook
- Double gatefold LP w/booklet and posters on black vinyl and B&W swirl (indie store exclusive)
- Super deluxe double red vinyl LP bookpack with bonus 7” single plus posters
Tracklisting:
"The Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation)"
"Massacra"
"Maniac"
"Blood Insanity"
"Decapitator"
"Crucifixion"
"Reaper"
"Horus/Aggressor"
"Revelations Of Doom"
"Messiah"
"Visions Of Mortality"
"Triumph Of Death"
Bonus 7” song (Super deluxe edition only):
"Decapitator" (Live In Houston)
"Messiah":
Triumph Of Death lineup:
Tom Gabriel Warrior - voice/guitar
André Mathieu - guitar/vocals
Jamie Lee Cussigh - bass
Tim Iso Wey – drums
