''Apocalyptic Raids'' is an
EP by the
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...
band
Hellhammer
Hellhammer was a Swiss metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are often re ...
. It was recorded and released in March 1984, and was the band's only commercial release.
The record was a major influence on the then-emerging
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
and
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
genres. It has served as an inspiration to such varied and respected bands as
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in 1981 in Meriden, West Midlands. None of the band's original members has been in the group since 1986. But since ''Utopia Banished'' (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch ...
and
Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
, both of whom recorded cover versions of "Messiah".
Hellhammer split up only three months after recording this EP, and later regrouped as
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost () was a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich. They are known for their strong influence on the development of extreme metalBukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal''. Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2003. p.43 and avant-ga ...
. The EP would be reissued six years later as ''Apocalyptic Raids 1990 A.D.'', boasting new artwork and two bonus tracks.
Artwork
The cover art of ''Apocalyptic Raids'' is influenced by
German Expressionism
German Expressionism () consisted of several related creative movements in Germany before the First World War that reached a peak in Berlin during the 1920s. These developments were part of a larger Expressionist movement in north and central ...
's stark aesthetic, combining
monochromaticity with the band's blood-red,
blackletter
Blackletter (sometimes black letter), also known as Gothic script, Gothic minuscule, or Textura, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 until the 17th century. It continued to be commonly used for the Danish, Norweg ...
-styled
logo
A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordma ...
.
Track listings
Tracks 5 and 6 were originally part of the now out-of-print ''
Death Metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
'' (1984) compilation.
Credits
Original 1984 release
*
Hellhammer
Hellhammer was a Swiss metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are often re ...
–
producers
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
**Satanic Slaughter (
Tom Warrior) –
V-Axe Holocaust (guitar),
Dambuster Vocals (lead vocals)
**Slayed Necros (a.k.a.
Martin Ain) –
Deadly Bassdose (bass),
Backing Howling... (backing vocals)
**Denial Fiend (a.k.a. Bruce Day) –
Hellish Crossfire on Wooden Coffins (drums)
*Horst Mueller –
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
*
Thomas Fischer – cover design, frontcover drawing "The Sitting Death" (© 1984)
*Mr. Jeckyl – heptagram
*Burzelbar –
pix
Apocalyptic Raids 1990 A.D.
* Tom G. Warrior – vocals, guitar, backing vocals
* Martin E. Ain – bass, cover design
* Bruce Day – drums
* Horst Müller –
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
,
mixing
* Julia Schechner – layout
* José Posada – illustrations
* Karl U. Walterbach – executive producer
Charts
References
{{Authority control
Hellhammer albums
Noise Records EPs
1984 EPs
1990 EPs