Death Metal (split album)

Death Metal
Compilation album by
Helloween, Hellhammer, Running Wild, and Dark Avenger
ReleasedMay 1984
RecordedFebruary–March 1984 at Caet Studio, Berlin
Genre
Length32:29
LabelNoise
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rock Hard7.5/10[1]

Death Metal is a 1984 split album by the heavy metal bands Helloween, Hellhammer, Running Wild, and Dark Avenger. It contains the only recorded material by the German group Dark Avenger besides their 1985 demo tape.[2] Despite its name, the musical style is not actually death metal.[3]

The album offers a snapshot of the Central European metal scene during the end of the early 1980s. At that time, Running Wild were still in their "satanic" lyrical phase and had yet to develop their "pirate metal" focus.[4] Helloween had more of a thrash or speed metal sound compared to the more melodic power metal style they would soon develop. Hellhammer were the darkest and heaviest band of the foursome and would later evolve into the group Celtic Frost.[5]

Running Wild's songs appear as Japanese bonus tracks on their 1995 album, Masquerade;[6] Helloween's tracks appear on the second disc of the 2006 remastered and expanded edition of their 1985 album, Walls of Jericho;[7] and Hellhammer's tracks appear on the 1990 re-issue of their 1984 EP, Apocalyptic Raids.[8]

  1. ^ Stratmann, Holger. "Review – Death Metal". Rock Hard. Archived from the original on 26 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Dark Avenger (2)". Discogs. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Demo-Review: Helloween – Death Metal". Dark-Art (in German). 6 June 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Yes, Pirate Metal Is a Real Thing and Here Are 5 of the Best Bands". iHeart. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  5. ^ Grow, Kory (15 August 2019). "The Triumph of Tom G. Warrior". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  6. ^ Running Wild – Masquerade Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 22 April 2023
  7. ^ Helloween – Walls of Jericho, retrieved 22 April 2023
  8. ^ Fischer, Thomas Gabriel (2000). Are You Morbid? Into the Pandemonium of Celtic Frost. London: Sanctuary Publishing Limited. p. 8.