Before forming the operatic avant-metal band Celtic Frost, frontman Tom Gabriel Fischer and bassist Martin Ain rained fire, brimstone and death on the metal community with Hellhammer, which released just one EP, Apocalyptic Raids, in 1984, but inspired the nascent black and death metal scenes to rise up and get evil.
Hellhammer were primitive, simplistic and low-fi, paling in quality to the Celtic Frost material to follow, yet they were undeniably savage and raw, leaving an indelible stamp on the underground -- so much so that their demos have been widely circulated over the years, first with tape traders and later Internet file sharers.
On February 26, Century Media will release three Hellhammer demos, Death Fiend, Triumph of Death and Satanic Rites on the two CD set Demon Entrails. The recordings were re-mastered from the original master tapes under the guidance of Fischer, and, according to a press release "the demos now represent Hellhammer exactly as the band sounded when recording these songs in June and December of 1983."
In addition to 29 songs, The package also features previously unseen and historical liner notes and art work along with unreleased Hellhammer photos. The set also includes all lyrics and esses detailing chronicling the demo sessions.
"The release of these demos is very significant to both Martin Eric Ain and me," says Fischer," who is also working on a book on Hellhammer. "No matter how one looks at Hellhammer, this was our first recorded music so many years ago, and it represents the radicalness of our own lives at the time. These demos became the foundation to everything we later created in Celtic Frost. Hell reigned on earth."
Here is the complete tracklisting for Demon Entrails:
CD 1: Satanic Rites Demo, December 2/3/4/7, 1983 (45:57)
1. Intro (0:58)
2. Messiah (4:18)
3. The Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation) (3:02)
4. Buried And Forgotten (6:01)
5. Maniac [re-recorded version] (3:46)
6. Eurynomos (3:10)
7. Triumph Of Death [re-recorded version] (6:58)
8. Revelations Of Doom (3:03)
9. Reaper [re-recorded version] (2:28)
10. Satanic Rites (7:18)
11. Crucifixion [re-recorded version] (2:45)
12. Outro (2:01)
CD 2: Death Fiend & Triumph Of Death Demos, June 10/11, 1983 (56:18)
1. Crucifixion (3:04)
2. Maniac (4:01)
3. (Execution) When Hell's Near (2:38)
4. Decapitator (2:07)
5. Blood Insanity (4:22)
6. Power Of Satan (4:11)
7. Reaper (2:06)
8. Death Fiend (2:35)
9. Triumph Of Death (5:15)
10. Metallic Storm (2:19)
11. Ready For Slaughter (3:36)
12. Dark Warriors (3:03)
13. Hammerhead (2:48)
14. Angel Of Destruction (2:58)
15. Bloody Pussies (4:59)
16. Chainsaw (3:58)
17. Sweet Torment (2:09)
To see what Hellhammer became, check out Celtic Frost's video for "A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh:"
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