''Satanic Rites'' is the third and final
demo tape by Swiss
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 extreme 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 ...
, recorded and distributed during December 1983. Along with Hellhammer's other releases, the demo had a major influence on the emerging
death metal
Death metal is an extreme metal, 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 death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
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 tr ...
genres.
''Satanic Rites'' later appeared on the compilation album ''
Demon Entrails'' along with the two other demos, ''
Death Fiend'' and ''
Triumph of Death''.
Background
Martin Eric Ain was fifteen at the time of recording ''Satanic Rites''.
The line-up of Hellhammer was constantly changing around this time.
In the book ''Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal'', the demo was described as "improved but still primitive".
Three members of Norwegian black metal band
Mayhem
Mayhem most commonly refers to:
* Mayhem (crime), a type of crime
Mayhem may also refer to:
People
* Monica Mayhem (born 1978), Australian pornographic actress
* Jason "Mayhem" Miller, American mixed martial arts fighter
* Mayhem Miller (dr ...
took their names from song titles from this release: founder and guitarist
Euronymous
Øystein Aarseth (22 March 1968 – 10 August 1993), better known by his stage name Euronymous, was a Norwegian musician and a founder of and central figure in the early Norwegian black metal scene. He was a co-founder and guitarist of the No ...
, and the first two vocalists Messiah and
Maniac
__NOTOC__
The MANIAC I (Mathematical Analyzer Numerical Integrator and Automatic Computer Model I) was an early computer built under the direction of Nicholas Metropolis at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. It was based on the von Neumann arc ...
.
Track listing
# "Intro" – 1:00
# "Messiah" – 4:22
# "The Third of the Storms (Evoked Damnation)" – 3:04
# "Buried and Forgotten" – 6:03
# "Maniac" – 3:48
# "Eurynomos" – 3:11
# "Triumph of Death" – 7:00
# "Revelations of Doom" – 3:05
# "Reaper" – 2:30
# "Satanic Rites" – 7:19
# "Crucifixion" – 2:47
# "Outro" – 2:02
Credits
*
Tom Gabriel Fischer – vocals, guitar, bass guitar (uncredited)
*
Martin Eric Ain – bass guitar, backing vocals
* Bruce Day (Jörg Neubart) – drums
* Metin Demiral – vocal introduction on "Buried and Forgotten"
References
1983 albums
Hellhammer albums
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