Hellhammer

Pictures

Hellhammer '83

Listen to, buy or share

Buy

Buy on Amazon Amazon Expand purchase options
  • Digital download
  • Amazon Amazon
  • 7digital 7digital
  • iTunes iTunes
  • Physical media
  • Amazon Amazon Search
  • eBay eBay Search
  • 974,702
    scrobbles
  • 43,156
    listeners

Tags

Everyone’s tags

Biography

(1982 – 1984)

Hellhammer was an early-1980s extreme metal band, hailing from Switzerland and popular briefly in Europe in the mid-1980s. They were a vital influence on black metal, death metal and doom metal, although their sound is most accurately described as mid-paced, proto-black metal (with exceptions such as the doom paced “Triumph of Death”). Members went on to form the massively influential band Celtic Frost.

Biography

Guitarist/vocalist Tom Gabriel Fischer (then known as Satanic Slaughter) and bassist/vocalist Steve Warrior formed the band in March 1982, originally naming it “Hammerhead”. They were subsequently joined by drummer Bruce Day. In spite of their rather marginal musical and technical quality, demo tapes called Triumph of Death and Satanic Rites became underground, word-of-mouth hits and the band was eventually picked up by German-based Noise Records (1984). Steve Warrior had been replaced by former Schizo bassist Martin Eric Ain, a change which marked the beginning of a serious and radical transformation in the band’s music and lyrics. These changes were ultimately responsible for Fischer’s and Ain’s increasing feeling of being limited within the confines of the purposely primitive Hellhammer vehicle.

Legacy

A legendary four-track 12” EP, Apocalyptic Raids, was released in March 1984. At the time, it was regarded as one of the heaviest and most extreme records yet produced.
Read more… Edit bio

Top Albums

Listening Trend

43,156listeners all time
974,702scrobbles all time
Recent listeners trend:

Start scrobbling and track your listening history

Last.fm users scrobble the music they play in iTunes, Spotify, Rdio and over 200 other music players.

Create a Last.fm profile

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up.

  • bannedinsp

    Better than Celtic Frost (666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666)

    Yesterday 8:23pm Reply

  • juftjrjkry

    So good

    3 May 6:34pm Reply

  • dimmuborgir6666

    Satanic Rites fucking rules.

    28 Apr 9:25pm Reply

  • MariaChikatilo

    Apocalyptic Raids is too clean....the demos are much better

    25 Apr 3:43pm Reply

  • Sicknessandpain

    Triumph of death fucking rules.

    24 Apr 4:45am Reply

  • CanIUseThis

    Black Metal was just a loose term back then for any band with Satanic lyrics. This is why bands like Mercyful Fate were called Black Metal while not sounding anything like what Black MEtal is now referred to.

    16 Apr 9:32pm Reply

  • ikd-sj

    [CRUCIFIXION] EVER!! (҉･ω･҉)

    13 Apr 7:48am Reply

  • Tormentor666666

    I think Satanic Rites is their best demo. And what the fuck, can't you guys understand that the label "Black Metal" that they are usually associated is because of their lyricism? Because of this I call them of Black/Speed Metal, the same way I call bands like Venom, and even Celtic Frost.

    13 Apr 2:51am Reply

  • j-yeags

    i like these guys more than celtic frost. i only like the early celtic frost albums. i don't care for their stuff after to the mega therion, just my opinion though.

    10 Apr 8:56pm Reply

  • Leatherdick

    Of course, it's first wave bm! v

    7 Apr 1:58pm Reply

  • WolfieboyMachi

    "Black Metal", what? Sounds more like Thrash/Hardcore/Speed Metal to me. Good stuff none the less, though.

    2 Apr 9:59pm Reply

  • Purzel_PadauZ

    Great Band but by no fucking way better than Celtic Frost.

    1 Apr 9:08am Reply

  • MariaChikatilo

    Better than Celtic Frost (66666666666666666666666)

    28 Mar 3:45am Reply

  • caduds

    old school for life, hail the first wave!

    25 Mar 12:34am Reply

  • Metallimaster

    Better than Celtic Frost [4]

    24 Mar 3:36pm Reply

  • Runoflife

    xVictimOfADownx , sais faggot, who listens to Enya))

    23 Mar 5:59am Reply

  • vitorsilighini

    Equally to Celtic Frost

    22 Mar 2:55am Reply

  • xVictimOfADownx

    @Runoflife Shut up poser

    21 Mar 11:29pm Reply

  • xVictimOfADownx

    Better than Celtic Frost [3]

    21 Mar 5:00am Reply

  • Runoflife

    Better then CF? No way! Probably only for "Panda metal" noobs (like crazydude 1992).

    12 Mar 9:24am Reply
    • All 491 shouts

Listening Now

Top Listeners

Email Newsletter

Universal Music Group Get exclusive tour, release & promotion updates on Hellhammer from Universal Music.