If I say Triumph of Death you naybe be a bit unaware of what I’m talking about (we are all humanafterall)butifIspeakofTomG.Warrior and Hellhammer, you have to be damn sure of whatI’mtalkingabout.Bornin1982inacountry not prepared for it, Switzerland (was any country prepared for it? I should ask) they shocked the world with their extreme music and chaotic sound.After2 yearstheyexploded and turned into one other name which is still to today a mark in the Metal scene: Celtic Frost!! Now , aftermanyyears,TomGWarriorthoughton bringingbacktothestage(athingnot alota people saw back in the day) the music of Hellhammerandwearedamnlucktobealiveto seeit!!!So,donotthinkonmissingit!!Ugh!!!
MH- Hey Mr Tom, how are you? As I’m writing this you are preparing to play a double-header in the US playing firstly with Triumph of Death and then with Triptykon playing a rare Celtic Frost set, so how was the Hell’s Heroes Fest in Texas and playing two shows in one weekend? The line-up seems amazing!! When you play these festivals do you have time to appreciate some of the bands in the line-up?
Tom Gabriel Warrior: The Hell's Heroes festival in Texas was truly a terrific experience. Both Triptykon and Triumph Of Death encountered a fantastic audience and a very professional, well-organised event. And of course I do encounter some of the other bands that play the festivals I am also performing at. In the case of Hell's Heroes, I was fortunate enough to meet some musicians that have been of great importance to my own career, Exciter and VioLence.
MH- When did the idea of Triumph Of Death come together? And what lead to that creation? Did you think it was time for the world to see Hellhammer live? Being Hellhammer such a personal creation and with such a cult history, how did you find the right people to share the stage with you? They couldn’t be just hired guns, right?
TGW: The idea for Triumph Of Death originally arose as I was writing my second book, "Only Death Is Real", around 2005 to 2007. Some years later, as Triptykon was recording the "Melana Chasmata" album in 2013/14, I began asking some of my friends if they would participate in the Triumph Of Death line-up. I really had and have no idea if "it was time for the world to see Hellhammer live". It was far more a deeply personal idea, to bring Hellhammer's music to the stage before I am gone, given that Hellhammer never played live during the band's existence.
And you are correct, of course, that I tried my best to find musicians who truly understand the spirit of Hellhammer. I did not wish to play with musical mercenaries, I wanted individuals who enjoy the music and also understand the ideology of Hellhammer's proto-black metal. Hellhammer was a very special assembly of people at a very special point in time. And while this can never be recreated, I wanted to come as close to it as possible.
MH- Even with a short span of life, you created a fair amount of music with Hellhammer, so how did you decide what songs to play in this tribute? You guys were teens when you wrote those songs so how was to return to those songs 40 years after writing them? How emotional was for you to play/rehearse a full Hellhammer set for the first time?
TGW: There are actually not that many songs to chose from. Moreover, some of the very early material really is perhaps too primitive to be performed on stage, and I also think one or two later songs should never be performed live due to their lyrical content. That leaves a core of music which now forms our live repertoire.
MH- I’m not going to dabble on the Hellhammer story as you are probably a bit tired of that, so the only thing I would like to ask is if you could draw us a picture (in words) on how was Switzerland, the place where you guys grew up in those days when everything started and especially the Opernhauskrawalle? Usually, people picture Switzerland as a very calm and peaceful place but in those days, it wasn’t like that, right?
TGW: You are entirely correct. Switzerland is a country that seems peaceful and stable towards the outside, but the extreme focus on monetary affairs often creates a significant imbalance
between politicians and the wealthy and the ordinary citizens. At the time of Hellhammer's existence, parts of Switzerland were consumed by an uprising of the country's youth against the establishment. These protests became quite violent and extreme due to the actions of the police. I was a working class teenager from a rather poor family, and these events very much shaped part of the anarchist approach of Hellhammer.
MH- Triumph of Death started playing live in 2019 and less than a year after that, the world basically paused, how frustrating was that for you? Luckily, things seem to be returning to a more sense of normality (if we can call it that nowadays) and you have returned to the stages, so can we expect one of these many concerts you have been playing to come out in physical format? TGW: It was a very difficult situation for everybody on this planet. But I have to be honest, after 37 years (at the time) of recording and touring, I was actually also glad that I was given the chance of a break. I really needed and enjoyed this, regardless of the problems of the global situation. We have recorded a number of Triumph Of Death concerts, and we will record some more. We will look at this material later this year, and if we feel it is good enough, we are intending to release a live album and perhaps some live singles.
and I know it is an immense gift and a privilege. Moreover, one should not forget that two members of Triumph Of Death are also of a generation that hadn't been born yet when Hellhammer existed. With Triumph Of Death, I wanted to have a band that combines the old-school approach of my generation with the view of younger extreme metal musicians. And I think this is really what the band is all about.
MH- You shocked the world (at least Switzerland for sure) with Hellhammer, then transformed like a butterfly in the great Celtic Frost and later in life you continue your legacy with Triptykon, where you continue to challenge yourself (and all of us, I would say) musically, would you say you feel proud and happy with what you’ve achieved with your life so far? Going back to when you formed Hellhammer, at that time did you ever imagined you will be still here talking about it 40 years later?
TGW: I am very happy and very, very grateful that I was given these chances as a musician in my life. It is certainly not something I would have ever thought would be possible when I was a young, aspiring musician in 1981, 1982. As a teenager, I was dreaming of becoming a professional musician, but hardly anybody out of Switzerland had ever achieved that at the time, so I was realistic enough to think this would remain a dream. It is therefore almost impossible to find words that sufficiently express my gratitude towards the audiences who have given my music a chance and have made my path as a musician possible. I owe everything I am to them, and I am aware of this every second of my existence.
MH- Ok Mr Tom, thank you for having us!!! See you in April in Barroselas!! You played here thirteen years ago on one of Triptykon’s first concerts, promoting your debut album, so feeling good to come back to this little corner of Europe? Leave a message to the fans which are going to witness your ritual in Barroselas!!! Cheers!!!
MH- Last year we saw you guys playing in London and it was amazing to see the range of ages in the audience, from middle-aged guys (like me ahah) to younger dudes which probably weren’t born when you created Hellhammer, so were you surprised by that? That it’s not just the oldtimers wanting to see Hellhammer live? Have all the other places where you’ve played so far be like that as well?
TGW: I feel deeply grateful that audiences of all ages are still giving my old music a chance, all across the globe. I never take this for granted,
TGW: I have played Barroselas before, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I am therefore looking forward immensely to returning and playing there with Triumph Of Death. I know there are many friends there who enjoy this oldschool, punky extreme metal as much as we all do, and we cannot wait to celebrate this together onstage.
