Messiah (Swiss band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Switzerland |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, live recordings |
Messiah is a metal band from Switzerland known for blending death, black, and thrash metal styles. Throughout its existence, the group has featured three different lead vocalists, with Andy Kaina holding the position for the longest duration. Guitarist R.B. Broggi stands as the sole member who has been continuously involved.
Origins, album releases, and one-off reunion (1984–2003)
The band's first album, Hymn to Abramelin, debuted in 1986 under Chainsaw Murder Records. Their follow-up record, Extreme Cold Weather (1987), was reissued on CD by Nuclear Blast in 1990, packaged together with their initial release. Later, Messiah signed with the German label Noise Records, issuing Choir of Horrors in 1991. Subsequent albums included Rotten Perish and Underground before the band dissolved in the mid-1990s.
In 2003, they reunited for a single performance but declared no intentions of continuing further reunions.
Comeback, Fatal Grotesque Symbols – Darken Universe, and Fracmont (2017–present)
At the end of 2017, Messiah accepted an invitation to play clandestine concerts in Lucerne, Switzerland. Motivated by the enthusiastic reception, they started composing new tracks at the beginning of 2018.
By June 2020, Messiah announced their EP Fatal Grotesque Symbols – Darken Universe, which was released on 7 August. This was followed by their full-length album Fracmont on 11 September—representing their first studio album in over two and a half decades.
Current lineup
- R.B. Broggi – guitar
- Patrick Hersche – bass guitar
- Steve Karrer – drums
- Marcus Seebach – lead vocals
- V.O. Pulver – guitar
Previous members
- Rolf "Jazzi" Heer – drums
- Reto Wilhelm Kühne – bass and vocals
- Andre Steiner – guitar
- Dave Phillips – bass guitar
- Dani Raess – guitar
- Pete Schuler – drums
- Christofer Johnsson – vocals
- Oliver Koll – bass guitar
- Andy Kaina – lead vocals
Studio albums
- Hymn to Abramelin (1986)
- Extreme Cold Weather (1987)
- Choir of Horrors (1991)
- Rotten Perish (1992)
- Underground (1994)
- Fracmont (2020)
- Christus Hypercubus (2024)
Live recordings
- Reanimation, Live at Abart (2010)
- The Choir of Horrors and Rotten Perish Era Live (2018)
Extended plays
- Psychomorphia (1990)
- The Ballad of Jesus (1994)
- Fatal Grotesque Symbols – Darken Universe (2020)
Compilation albums
- Powerthrash / The Infernal Thrashing (2004)
- Space Invaders (2018)
Video releases
- 20 Years of Infernal Thrashing Madness (2004)
Demo recordings
- Demo 1984 (1984)
- Infernal Thrashing (1985)
- Powerthrash (1985)
- Live Baar (1985)
- Extreme Cold Weather (1986)