Album Review: Triumph of Death - Resurrection Of The Flesh
Reviewed by Richard Oliver
Despite mockery, incredulity and dismissal from critics at the time, Hellhammer are easily one of the most important and influential bands in the history of extreme metal. Only in existence for a mere two years before Tom G. Warrior and the late Martin Ain went on to form the equally important and influential Celtic Frost, the band released three demos and an E.P. that would go on to shape black and death metal. The odd Hellhammer song has been performed by Celtic Frost and Tom’s subsequent band Triptykon but the vast majority of Hellhammer’s music has gone unperformed on stage until the formation by Tom G. Warrior of Triumph Of Death - a band dedicated to performing the music of Hellhammer at last.
“Resurrection Of The Flesh” features recordings taken from three Triumph Of Death shows which took place at Hell’s Heroes Festival in Houston USA, Dark Easter Metal Meeting in Munich, Germany and SWR Barroselas Metal Fest in Portugal. The resulting live album is an absolutely glorious tribute to Hellhammer showcasing how pivotal this music is and despite these songs dating back 40 years old it still sounds gloriously vibrant today in 2023 as there are bands still trying to emulate this old school proto-black metal sound.
The recording quality is excellent and although far cleaner than the original recordings, they still have a raw and gritty edge to them. Hearing high quality recordings of songs such as ‘The Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation), ‘Maniac’, ‘Horus/Aggressor’ and ‘Messiah’ is a joy to behold. Even though there is only one member from the original Hellhammer days involved that being the legendary Tom G. Warrior himself, the rest of the Triumph Of Death band more than do this material justice.
Tom G. Warrior has made a point of stating that “Hellhammer will never return and will never be reformed. It is absolutely impossible to reform a band so closely linked to a very specific and unique period in time. But Hellhammer's music exists, and it is an extremely important part of my life's path. And I would like to play it onstage before my demise”. Triumph Of Death in this respect is an overwhelming success and has allowed an audience of both old and young metalheads to experience the might of Hellhammer in a live setting. For those who have not been able to attend a concert, this magnificent live album is the next best thing and in recorded form the Hellhammer material has never sounded as good as this. A stunning tribute to a band who irrevocably shaped the soundscape of heavy music. Live albums can be hit or miss but this is a must hear.
