Apocalyptic Raids
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Apocalyptic Raids
| type = EP
| artist = Hellhammer
| cover = ApocalypticRaids.jpg
| alt =
| released = March 1984
1990 (1990 re-release)
| recorded = 2–7 March 1984
| venue =
| studio = Caet Studio, Berlin{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/apocalyptic-raids-mw0000310720 | title=Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | website=AllMusic }}
| genre = {{hlist|Black metal|thrash metal}}
| length = 19:41
27:03 (1990 re-release)
| label = Noise
| producer = Tom Warrior, Martin Ain, Karl U. Walterbach
| prev_title = Satanic Rites
| prev_year = 1983
| next_title = Demon Entrails
| next_year = 2008
}}
Apocalyptic Raids is an EP by Swiss extreme metal band Hellhammer. 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 and black metal genres. It has served as an inspiration to such varied and respected bands as Napalm Death and Sepultura, both of whom recorded cover versions of "Messiah".{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/leaders-not-followers-pt-2-mw0000302182 |title=Napalm Death - Leaders Not Followers, Pt. 2 review |last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |accessdate=28 January 2017 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/revolusongs-mw0000457874 |title=Sepultura - Revolusongs review |last=Loftus |first=Johnny |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |accessdate=28 January 2017 }}
Hellhammer split up only three months after recording this EP, and later regrouped as Celtic Frost.{{cite book |last1=Fischer |first1=Thomas Gabriel |authorlink=Thomas Gabriel Fischer |title=Are You Morbid?: Into the Pandemonium of Celtic Frost |location=London, UK |publisher=Sanctuary |year=2000 |page=80 |isbn=978-1860743108 }} The EP would be reissued six years later as Apocalyptic Raids 1990 A.D., boasting new artwork and two bonus tracks.{{cite AV media notes |last=Warrior |first=Thomas Gabriel | authorlink = Thomas Gabriel Fischer |year=1990 |chapter=The Macabre Existence of Hellhammer |title=Apocalyptic Raids 1990 A.D. |type=CD booklet |others=Hellhammer |location=Berlin, Germany |publisher=Noise Records |page=2 |id= N 0008-3}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
| rev1Score = 1/10{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | authorlink1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = 1 November 2005 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | isbn = 978-1894959315 | page= 156}}
}}
Artwork
The cover art of Apocalyptic Raids is influenced by German Expressionism's stark aesthetic, combining monochromaticity with the band's blood-red, blackletter-styled logo.{{cite journal |title=Simbolismo místico e anticristão em Apocalyptic Raids do Hellhammer |journal=Diversidade Religiosa |year=2015 |last1=Rodriguez de Sá |first1=José Felipe |last2=Ganem Fernandes |first2=Ermelinda |volume=1 |issue=2 |page=4 |issn=2317-0476 |url=http://periodicos.ufpb.br/ojs/index.php/dr/article/view/24235/13840 |accessdate=28 January 2017 | language = Portuguese}}
Track listings
{{Track listing
| headline = Original 1984 release
| title1 = The Third of the Storms (Evoked Damnation)
| writer1 = Tom G. Warrior
| length1 = 2:55
| title2 = Massacra
| writer2 = Warrior
| length2 = 2:49
| title3 = Triumph of Death
| writer3 = Warrior
| length3 = 9:30
| title4 = Horus/Aggressor
| writer4 = Warrior, Martin Eric Ain
| length4 = 4:27
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = 1990 re-release bonus tracks
| title5 = Revelations of Doom
| writer5 = Warrior, Ain
| length5 = 2:49
| title6 = Messiah
| writer6 = Warrior, Ain
| length6 = 4:33
}}
Tracks 5 and 6 were originally part of the now out-of-print Death Metal (1984) compilation.
Credits
=Original 1984 release=
- Hellhammer – producers
- Satanic Slaughter ({{aka}} 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
- 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, mixing
- Julia Schechner – layout
- José Posada – illustrations
- Karl U. Walterbach – executive producer
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for Apocalyptic Raids |
| scope="col"| Chart (2020–2025)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Germany4|39|id=10648|artist=Hellhammer|album=Apocalyptic Raids|rowheader=true|accessdate=12 June 2020}} |
| scope="row"| Greek Albums (IFPI){{cite web|url=http://www.ifpi.gr/charts_en.html|title=Official IFPI Charts Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 09/2025|publisher=IFPI Greece|access-date=5 March 2025|lang=el|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305093410/https://www.ifpi.gr/charts_el.html|archive-date=5 March 2025|url-status=dead}}
| 71 |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|28|artist=Hellhammer|album=Apocalyptic Raids|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 June 2020}} |
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Hellhammer}}
{{Authority control}}