Apollyon Sun

Last updated

Apollyon Sun
Triptykon live at Hellfest 202.jpg
Tom G. Warrior live at Hellfest 2011
Background information
Origin Zürich, Switzerland
Genres Industrial metal, trip hop
Years active1995–2001
LabelsMayan Records
Past members Thomas Gabriel Fischer ("Tom G. Warrior")
Erol Unala
Donovan John Szypura
Roger Muller
Dany Zingg
Stephen Priestly
Marky Edelmann
Website apollyonsun.com

Apollyon Sun was a Swiss industrial metal band formed by singer/guitarist Tom Gabriel Fischer and guitarist Erol Unala in early 1995, after the termination of Celtic Frost, Fischer's prior group. The group was unofficially dissolved in 2001 when Fischer invited Erol Unala to contribute to the reformation of Celtic Frost. Their name is taken from the Celtic Frost demo "Under Apollyon's Sun".

Contents

History

The band were first discovered in 1997 by London-based Sanctuary Music Management, on the strength of their Industry Demonstration EP. Subsequently managed by Rod Smallwood and Merck Mercuriadis, Apollyon Sun released a five-track debut mini-album - God Leaves (And Dies) on London's Mayan Records in summer of 1998 and then contributed "God Leaves" and "Relinquished Body" for the soundtrack of top-rated BBC TV show City Central.

Work on a full album, Sub , began at London's Trident Studios that same year, with producer Roli Mosimann (Björk, Marilyn Manson, Faith No More). Further recording and mixing sessions took place at Manhattan's EastSide Sound, London's Nomis Studios, and at various studio locations in Switzerland. Sub features prominent final mixes by Mosimann, John Fryer (HIM, Nine Inch Nails), and Apollyon Sun themselves. Sub was released globally through Mayan Records in late summer 2000, after two years of studio work. Fall 2000 saw the band's first international concerts, among them a very radical and uncompromising show attached to the UK's "Kerrang! Awards", in London.

In 2001 and 2002, Apollyon Sun made further soundtrack contributions for the BBC, among them music for the high profile TV production Red Cap with Tamzin Outwaithe. Unala and Fischer also participated in former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl's (Foo Fighters) Probot album project. Co-written by Grohl, Fischer and Unala, the resulting song "Big Sky" features Fischer on vocals and Unala on guitars.

Work on Apollyon Sun's third album, tentatively titled Flesh, began as early as 2000, this time at the band's own newly expanded studio facilities in Switzerland as well as at Unala's and Fischer's home recording studios. The resurgence of Celtic Frost and the songwriting and recording work for Celtic Frost's first album in 13 years served to temporarily put Apollyon Sun on hiatus and interrupt work on Flesh - Celtic Frost had not only required Fischer's services again but also asked Unala to join the re-formed project as the band's guitarist and programmer.

Apollyon Sun's activities has remained on hold since Fischer and Unala departed for Celtic Frost. Guitarist Unala has not continued any Apollyon Sun activities since leaving Celtic Frost in 2006. Fischer has since stated he has no intention of contributing to Apollyon Sun again.

Chronology

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtic Frost</span> Swiss metal band

Celtic Frost was a Swiss metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several varieties of extreme metal and for their avant-garde approach to music more generally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hellhammer</span> Swiss extreme metal band

Hellhammer was a Swiss extreme metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are often regarded as a key influence on black metal. In June 1984, Hellhammer disbanded but two of its members soon formed the influential extreme metal band Celtic Frost.

<i>Probot</i> 2004 studio album by Probot

Probot was a heavy metal side project of former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. Described by Grohl as "a death metal Supernatural", the album mixes instrumentals recorded by Grohl himself with various metal singers whom the musician admired. The album was released in February 2004 by Southern Lord Records. It featured one single entitled "Centuries of Sin"/"The Emerald Law".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1349 (band)</span> Norwegian black metal band

1349 is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1997. The band's name is a reference to the year the Black Death reached Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Gabriel Fischer</span> Swiss musician

Thomas Gabriel Fischer, also known by the stage names Tom Warrior and Satanic Slaughter, is a Swiss musician. He led the extreme metal groups Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, and today is the frontman of the band Triptykon.

Rock and roll first entered Switzerland in the 1950s, as a series of American musicians popularized the style internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Eric Ain</span> American-born Swiss bassist (1967–2017)

Martin Eric Ain was an American musician best known as the bassist of the influential extreme metal bands Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. He used the stage name Martin Eric Ain throughout.

Roli Mosimann is a drummer, electronic musician and record producer who has worked in genres ranging from industrial to pop. Originally from Switzerland, Mosimann first came to attention with the New York City no wave band Swans and later collaborated with Foetus leader JG Thirlwell in the duo Wiseblood.

<i>Vanity/Nemesis</i> 1990 studio album by Celtic Frost

Vanity/Nemesis is the fifth studio album by Swiss heavy metal band Celtic Frost, released on 11 April 1990 through Noise Records.

<i>Monotheist</i> (album) 2006 studio album by Celtic Frost

Monotheist is the sixth and final studio album by the Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost. The album was released in May 2006 and was the first new recording released by the band in 16 years. Upon its release, the album was met with universal acclaim by music critics.

<i>Tragic Serenades</i> 1986 EP by Celtic Frost

Tragic Serenades is an EP by the Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost. It was released in 1986 and was an influence on the developing death metal and black metal genres. According to frontman Thomas Gabriel Fischer, the purpose of this EP was to include Martin Eric Ain's bass lines and improve on Horst Müller's original production of tracks from To Mega Therion.

<i>Unwant</i> 2005 studio album by Hatesex

The 1st full-length album of Hatesex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Grohl discography</span>

Dave Grohl is an American singer, songwriter, and musician whose discography consists of 16 studio albums, six live albums, eight compilation albums, six EPs, and four soundtracks, and also includes his other collaborations and work as a studio musician with 26 additional artists. A large portion of his releases have come as the drummer of Nirvana (1990–1994) and as the frontman of Foo Fighters (1995–present).

<i>In Memory of Celtic Frost</i> 1996 studio album by various artists

In Memory of... Celtic Frost is a Celtic Frost tribute album released in 1996, notable for its inclusion of "Babylon Fell" by Apollyon Sun, which features former Celtic Frost vocalist/guitarist Tom Gabriel Fischer. Whilst mostly a tribute to Celtic Frost, it also pays a small nod to Fischer's other former band, Hellhammer.

<i>God Leaves (And Dies)</i> 1998 EP by Apollyon Sun

God Leaves (And Dies) is the debut EP by Swiss industrial metal band Apollyon Sun, released in 1997 via Mayan Records.

<i>Sub</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Apollyon Sun

Sub is the debut album by Swiss industrial metal band Apollyon Sun, released in 2000 on Mayan Records.

<i>Eparistera Daimones</i> 2010 studio album by Triptykon

Eparistera Daimones is the debut album by Swiss extreme metal band Triptykon, the most recent musical project of Thomas Gabriel Fischer, founding member of the pioneering heavy metal bands Hellhammer and Celtic Frost and industrial project Apollyon Sun.

Erol Uenala, also known as Erol Unala, is a Swiss industrial and metal musician. He was a member of the industrial metal band Apollyon Sun and the thrash metal band Celtic Frost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earthphish</span>

Earthphish is a music group formed in Switzerland in 2001, consisting of Aleksandra Mirjana Crossan, Donovan John Szypura and formerly André Ledergerber. Their debut album "Soft Green Exit" (CD) was released independently in 2003. Their song "Soulcandy" reached #1 on the electronic music charts on the online community GarageBand.com The music of Earthphish has been compared to trip hop artists such as Tricky, Massive Attack and Portishead.

<i>Aggravation</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Treponem Pal

Aggravation is the second studio album by French industrial metal band Treponem Pal. It was released in 1991 on Roadracer Records. The record features contributions from producer Roli Mosimann and session work from the Celtic Frost drummer Stephen Priestly. The album also features a cover of Kraftwerk's 1976 track, "Radioactivity."