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Hymn to Abramelin (1986)
Messiah was a death/thrash band from Switzerland and released their first L.P., Hymn to Abramelin, in September 1986. This seems to be, for one reason or another, criminally underrated. The vocals on this album are completely maniacal and possessed! The music is raw and scathing—this has to be the most evil-sounding thing to ever come out of Switzerland. There’s nothing here like Hellhammer’s "Triumph of Death" or Samael’s "Into the Pentagram". This is just feral and shreds most of those bands' works to pieces.
The title track, “Messiah,” is the standout and absolutely sears the flesh right off your face. The rough production only adds to the vicious sound of this death/thrash assault. From the guitars to the drums to the shrieking vocals, there’s a frenzied bloodlust that drives everything forward. Despite how chaotic this album feels, it’s clear that these guys knew how to write actual songs. The structures make sense and the riffs transition naturally. There are no awkward bits,
There are even some haunting tremolo melodies that give the music a distinctly blackened edge, and the album is full of memorable riffs. There are mid-paced sections not too far removed from Celtic Frost, but Messiah never strays into that rock-based territory their countrymen couldn’t seem to escape. And when it comes to vocals, there’s no comparison. Tom Warrior couldn’t have sounded this evil and deranged if his life depended on it. Tschösi sounds like he’s descending into complete insanity on “Anarchus,” for example.
The only real downside: the idiotic spoken word intros. I had to trim those out and burned a CD with just the hellish, unrelenting music, minus those parts. Once that’s dealt with, what’s left is a total onslaught. Either way, this is absolutely essential '80s evil that puts to shame most of the better-known "grim" black metal that followed. Messiah didn’t need to cosplay with stupid swords and chain mail in the forest to sound like pure damnation.
The title track, “Messiah,” is the standout and absolutely sears the flesh right off your face. The rough production only adds to the vicious sound of this death/thrash assault. From the guitars to the drums to the shrieking vocals, there’s a frenzied bloodlust that drives everything forward. Despite how chaotic this album feels, it’s clear that these guys knew how to write actual songs. The structures make sense and the riffs transition naturally. There are no awkward bits,
There are even some haunting tremolo melodies that give the music a distinctly blackened edge, and the album is full of memorable riffs. There are mid-paced sections not too far removed from Celtic Frost, but Messiah never strays into that rock-based territory their countrymen couldn’t seem to escape. And when it comes to vocals, there’s no comparison. Tom Warrior couldn’t have sounded this evil and deranged if his life depended on it. Tschösi sounds like he’s descending into complete insanity on “Anarchus,” for example.
The only real downside: the idiotic spoken word intros. I had to trim those out and burned a CD with just the hellish, unrelenting music, minus those parts. Once that’s dealt with, what’s left is a total onslaught. Either way, this is absolutely essential '80s evil that puts to shame most of the better-known "grim" black metal that followed. Messiah didn’t need to cosplay with stupid swords and chain mail in the forest to sound like pure damnation.
(1 May 2025)
Extreme Cold Weather (1987)
Extreme Cold Weather is the second album from Messiah. This is a short and strange follow-up to Hymn to Abramelin. The song titles and lyrics are ridiculous but if you ignore that, what’s left is a pretty solid album. The savage ferocity of the debut is toned down, but not gone entirely.
“Enjoy Yourself” (terrible name aside) channels more of the psychotic energy from Hymn to Abramelin, especially in the riffs and frantic pacing. The faster moments on “Radezky March” and “Johannes Paul der Letzte” still hold onto the chaos that defined their early sound, even if there’s more melody and atmosphere creeping in. Tschösi’s shift in vocal delivery is hard to ignore. When that grating harshness fades and you start hearing the "real voice" underneath, it kills the illusion of chaos a bit. That rough edge was essential to Messiah’s impact, and when it's missing, you feel it.
That said, it's fascinating how Messiah managed to combine primal violence with more traditional metal influences without diluting either. Tracks like "Hyper Borea" make that contrast clear. It’s an instrumental featuring cold tremolo riffs that kind of foreshadow early ‘90s black metal, yet is still rooted in classic heavy metal structure. It’s one of the strongest compositions here, even if it’s instrumental. The thin, fuzzy tone actually fits the wintry theme. “Nero” might be the strongest track overall. There are no missteps, no weak vocals, just focused, furious riffing with an ominous undertone.
Extreme Cold Weather doesn't feel like a total change in style. While it isn't as dark or vicious as the first album, there are still a fair amount of intense parts mixed in with the more atmospheric, gloomy sections. Idiotic lyrics and titles aside, this is a good record and worth a listen.
“Enjoy Yourself” (terrible name aside) channels more of the psychotic energy from Hymn to Abramelin, especially in the riffs and frantic pacing. The faster moments on “Radezky March” and “Johannes Paul der Letzte” still hold onto the chaos that defined their early sound, even if there’s more melody and atmosphere creeping in. Tschösi’s shift in vocal delivery is hard to ignore. When that grating harshness fades and you start hearing the "real voice" underneath, it kills the illusion of chaos a bit. That rough edge was essential to Messiah’s impact, and when it's missing, you feel it.
That said, it's fascinating how Messiah managed to combine primal violence with more traditional metal influences without diluting either. Tracks like "Hyper Borea" make that contrast clear. It’s an instrumental featuring cold tremolo riffs that kind of foreshadow early ‘90s black metal, yet is still rooted in classic heavy metal structure. It’s one of the strongest compositions here, even if it’s instrumental. The thin, fuzzy tone actually fits the wintry theme. “Nero” might be the strongest track overall. There are no missteps, no weak vocals, just focused, furious riffing with an ominous undertone.
Extreme Cold Weather doesn't feel like a total change in style. While it isn't as dark or vicious as the first album, there are still a fair amount of intense parts mixed in with the more atmospheric, gloomy sections. Idiotic lyrics and titles aside, this is a good record and worth a listen.
(1 May 2025)
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