Metalshop TV conducted an interview with TRIUMPH OF DEATH frontman Thomas Gabriel Fischer (also of TRIPTYKON, formerly of CELTIC FROST) and bassist Mia Wallace prior to the band’s appearance at this year’s Brutal Assault festival in Jaromer, Czech Republic. You can watch the entire chat AT THIS LOCATION.

On HELLHAMMER’s aspirations upon their 1982 formation:
Thomas: “Of course we had some lofty dreams, but you have to understand — you’re asking me now it’s 2019 where there’s been an extreme metal scene for 30 years. Back then there was no extreme metal scene. HELLHAMMER was one of a small handful of bands that played this music. It was maybe MOTÖRHEAD, DISCHARGE and VENOM. BATHORY had not yet formed. We played something that nobody accepted. People laughed at us; people made us outcasts. We were realistic enough to think that in spite of our dreams, this music will never go anywhere. At most, maybe we could be accepted in the punk scene. We didn’t play music to become famous. We played it because it was a scream inside of us because of the circumstances of our youth. We all had a very difficult youth, all of us, and this was our little world we created ourselves to keep away teachers, politicians, parents and so on. It wasn’t about being in a stadium.“

On the initial harsh reaction to HELLHAMMER’s music by critics:
Thomas: “They were right. For the ears of the time back then, what was in back then was things like AC/DC or bands with vocals like Ronnie James Dio. That was the standard of the day, and we were the complete opposite. For the ears of back then what we did was noise. At best, punkish noise. These reviews, they hurt, but they were in a way, justified. Of course, now, we have different ears. We have been used to the black metal scene and all kind of things. It’s more normal now.”

On the status of the next TRIPTYKON studio album:
Thomas: “Finally TRIPTYKON is showing signs of life. I admit it’s all my fault. I’ve been involved with so many things and I’ve also had to take care of some private things in my life in recent years. We have been mixing the ‘Requiem’, the live recording of CELTIC FROST/TRIPTYKON’s ‘Requiem’. We have finished mixing it. I have submitted all the artwork. It’s going to be released early next year as a very lavish gatefold album with many extras and bonus materials and so on. It will be a very beautiful release. Of course, it’s a stopgap release. The actual TRIPTYKON studio album, we are working on it. I’m working on various songs. We will rehearse those songs later this year in Switzerland. We plan on recording this album in the next months in 2020, and release it hopefully later next year if all goes well. There should be two TRIPTYKON albums finally within maybe one year.“

HELLHAMMER disbanded in 1984 after Fischer and bassist Martin Eric Ain changed the group’s name to CELTIC FROST.