WARHEAD (Belgium) - The Day After 12" Vinyl LP Album

- Mausoleum Records’ 1986 blast of Belgian Heavy Metal fury

Album Front Cover Photo of WARHEAD (Belgium) - The Day After Visit: https://vinyl-records.nl/

Warhead, Belgium’s mid-80s metal shockwave, delivered “The Day After” like a detonation warning wrapped in vinyl. Recorded at Shiva Studios, Brussels, and produced by Jos “Speed Rat” Kloek, the album captures the raw urgency of a band balancing between apocalypse and adrenaline. From the speed-fueled opener “Legions of Hell” to the apocalyptic title track, it remains a fiery relic of Europe’s heavy metal underground.

Table of Contents

"The Day After" Album Description:

Belgian Heavy Metal band Warhead released their second studio album, "The Day After," in 1986. The album featured seven tracks that showcased the band's talent for creating heavy, powerful music.

Their debut album, "Speedway," was released in 1984 and received critical acclaim in the Belgian Heavy Metal scene. The success of their debut album paved the way for the release of their second album, "The Day After."

"The Day After" was a significant album for Warhead and Belgian Heavy Metal. The album marked a shift in the band's sound towards a more refined and polished sound. The album's production was improved, which allowed the band to showcase their musical prowess. The album also featured more complex song structures, which demonstrated the band's growth as musicians.

The album's title track, "The Day After", was inspired by the fear of a nuclear war during the Cold War era. The song presents a bleak and haunting portrayal of a post-apocalyptic world. Other tracks on the album explored themes of love, loss, and the struggles of the working class.
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"The Day After" received positive reviews from both fans and critics. The album's improved production and songwriting were praised, and the band was hailed as one of the most talented Heavy Metal bands in Belgium. The album was also a commercial success, selling over 10,000 copies in Belgium alone.

Production & Recording Information:

Music Genre:

Thrash Metal from Belgium

Label & Catalognr:

Mausoleum Records – SKULL 83109

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram

Year & Country:

1986 – Belgium

Producers:

Jos "Speed Rat" Kloek – Producer

  • Jos Kloek – Producer, Sound Engineer

    See Jos "Speed Rat" Kloek in the credits and you know who was steering the session.

    Jos Kloek is the Belgian producer/sound engineer who put a hard edge on a whole slice of 80s European heavy metal. I keep seeing his name in the credits: producing Killer (1983-84, "Shock Waves"), Axe Victims, Fisc, Dark Wizard and Warhead (1984), and even signing as Jos "Speed Rat" Kloek on Warhead's "The Day After" (1986). He guided Crossfire through 1984-86 (remix work, then production), and in 1985 took the desk for E.F. Band while mixing Together's "Playing Games" EP. His peak run is 1985-87: producing/engineering TSA and then mixing, producing and engineering Kat's debut "Metal and Hell" (1986) and related releases into 1987. Later credits include Van Camp (1988), FN Guns (1990) and Asphyxia (1991, executive producer).

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    Sound & Recording Engineer:

    Patrick Cogneaux – Sound Engineer

    Patrick Cogneaux a sound engineer associated with "Shiva Studio, Brussels, Belgium" who has worked on albums for "FN Guns", Ostrogoth, Steelover, TSA, Wildfire, Warhead and many others
    Recording Location:

    Recorded at Shiva Studios, Brussels, December 1985

    Album Cover Design & Artwork:

    Eric Philippe – Album Artwork

  • Eric Philippe – Illustrator, graphic designer

    Eric Philippe is the kind of name I notice because the art hits first and the credits hit later: sharp airbrush fantasy vibes that helped Belgian metal look as intense as it sounded.

    Eric Philippe, is a Belgian illustrator and graphic designer based in Liege, known for airbrush-driven cover art and graphic work that shows up all over the rock and metal ecosystem. I associate him most with that classic Mausoleum-era visual punch: he’s credited for cover illustration/artwork on releases connected to bands like Crossfire, Killer, Ostrogoth, and Dark Wizard, and his style nails that sweet spot between fantasy menace and clean, readable design. When it comes to “performed with bands,” I don’t see him documented as a band member; his performing happens on paper and paint, where he basically builds the stage before the first riff even lands.

    Eric Philippe Wiki
    • Photography:

    Jan Caes – Back Cover Photography

    Jan Caes is a Belgian photographer known for his collaboration with Mausoleum Records during the mid-1980s. His work captured the raw visual energy of the European Heavy Metal scene, contributing album photography for several local acts including Warhead.

    Band Members / Musicians:

    Band Line-up:
    • Patrick Van Londerzele – Vocals
      Known as “The Beast”, Patrick was previously active in Crossfire before joining Warhead.
    • Didier Capelle – Guitars
      Also known under several aliases such as “Wall of Sound”, Didier played for both Warhead and Cyclone.
    • Pierre Tyrant – Bass
      Performs under the name “Evil Tyrant”.
    • Firedamp – Drums

    WARHEAD (Belgium) - The Day After Complete Tracklisting:

    Tracklisting Side One:
    1. Legions of Hell
      Opening track that sets the tone with high-tempo riffing and raw vocal power typical of mid-80s Belgian Heavy Metal.
    2. Evil Night
      A dark, galloping piece evoking the nocturnal menace that became WARHEAD’s signature sound.
    3. Devil’s Church
      Blending sinister themes with fiery guitar work — an underground classic in the Mausoleum Records catalog.
    Tracklisting Side Two:
    1. The Day After
      The album’s title track — apocalyptic in both tone and theme, a standout anthem of the Belgian metal underground.
    2. Black Time
      A heavy, doom-tinged piece that slows the tempo and deepens the album’s bleak narrative.
    3. Last Night
      A furious mid-tempo rocker with melodic overtones, bridging the album’s heavier and more atmospheric sides.
    4. Fall Out
      A closing track drenched in post-nuclear imagery — the perfect finale to a Cold War-era metal statement.

    Video Clips From: "The Day After"

    Video: Warhead - Legions of Hell
    Video: Warhead - The Day After
    Album Front Cover Photo
    Album cover of WARHEAD’s 'The Day After' shows a ghostly, skeletal motorcyclist charging out of a mushroom cloud, emerging from a blue-tinted nuclear explosion over Earth’s horizon. The band’s razor-edged chrome logo cuts through the dark space background at upper left, while the album title 'The Day After' appears in thin, white lettering in the top right corner. The artwork captures the apocalyptic, speed-driven energy of 1980s Belgian Heavy Metal.

    The album cover of “The Day After” by WARHEAD is a striking piece of 1980s Heavy Metal art, designed by Eric Philippe. Set against a deep, black cosmic background, the scene erupts with a massive yellow-and-blue nuclear mushroom cloud rising from the Earth’s surface.

    Within the swirling radioactive mist, a ghostly skeletal rider on a motorcycle bursts forth — a spectral figure rendered in cool grey tones, his bony hands gripping the handlebars as if tearing through the apocalypse itself. The detail of the wheels and metal frame gleam faintly through the vapor, suggesting both motion and menace.

    At the top left, the band’s jagged metallic logo “Warhead” slashes through the darkness, while on the right, the title “The Day After” is hand-drawn in stark white script, its uneven lines adding to the sense of chaos and decay. Below the explosion, a glimpse of the Earth’s curvature fades into deep space, evoking the post-nuclear desolation the music embodies.

    The artwork perfectly mirrors WARHEAD’s sound — fast, volatile, and apocalyptic — blending science fiction and Cold War dread into one unforgettable visual statement of Belgian metal’s raw energy.

    Album Back Cover Photo
    Back cover of WARHEAD’s 1986 album 'The Day After' released on Mausoleum Records, featuring handwritten white track titles and credits over a dark grey streaked background. Side One lists 'Legions of Hell', 'Evil Night', and 'Devil’s Church'; Side Two lists 'The Day After', 'Black Time', 'Last Night', and 'Fall Out'. The lower section includes production credits for Jos 'Speed Rat' Kloek, Patrick Cogneaux, and Eric Philippe, along with portrait photos of all four band members — Tyler C. on guitar, Patrick on vocals, Evil Tyrant on bass, and Firedamp on drums.

    The back cover of “The Day After” by WARHEAD radiates 1980s metal attitude with its sharp handwritten typography and stormy background design. The layout features a dark grey, woodgrain-textured backdrop across which the track listing and credits appear in jagged white lettering.

    Side One includes “Legions of Hell,” “Evil Night,” and “Devil’s Church.” Side Two follows with “The Day After,” “Black Time,” “Last Night,” and “Fall Out.”

    Below the song titles, production credits acknowledge Jos “Speed Rat” Kloek as producer, Patrick Cogneaux as engineer, and Eric Philippe for the striking cover design. Recording took place at Shiva Studios, Brussels in December 1985, and the back cover photography was done by Jan Caes.

    Four individual band portraits line the bottom: Tyler C. (guitar) clutching his instrument with intensity, Patrick (vocals) in sleeveless attire, Evil Tyrant (bass) with his red-accented instrument, and Firedamp (drums) holding sticks in a confident pose. The Mausoleum Records logo appears vividly in red at the lower left, anchoring this classic piece of Belgian metal design.

    Close up of Side One record’s label
    Close-up of Side One record label for WARHEAD’s 1986 album 'The Day After', released on Mausoleum Records. The label background features a stormy, cloudlike design with a crackling yellow lightning bolt running horizontally across it. The Mausoleum Records logo appears at the top in blood-red dripping gothic letters. Below it, the catalog number 'SKULL 83109', 'Side 1', and 'SABAM 33 RPM Made in Belgium' are printed in white text. Track titles 'Legions of Hell', 'Evil Night', and 'Devil’s Church' are listed along with credits to Jos Kloek and Patrick Cogneaux, all set against the vivid imagery of Belgian Heavy Metal’s mid-80s vinyl aesthetic.

    This close-up shows the Side One record label of “The Day After” by WARHEAD, pressed by Mausoleum Records in Belgium in 1986. The surface features a dark, thunderous cloud motif with a jagged yellow lightning bolt slashing horizontally across the center.

    The Mausoleum Records logo dominates the top — its bold, dripping red gothic typeface resembling molten metal, a hallmark of the label’s visual identity. Beneath it, the catalog number SKULL 83109, playback speed 33 RPM, and rights organization SABAM appear in clean white lettering, accompanied by the inscription “Made in Belgium.”

    The lower section lists the three tracks of Side One: “Legions of Hell,” “Evil Night,” and “Devil’s Church.” Production and engineering credits cite Jos Kloek and Patrick Cogneaux, with publishing handled by Makin’ Music. The design conveys the underground energy and craftsmanship of Belgian Heavy Metal’s vinyl era.

    Index of WARHEAD Album Cover Gallery & 12" Vinyl LP Discography Information
    Thumbnail of WARHEAD - Speedway album front cover
    WARHEAD - Speedway

    "Warhead: Speedway" races onto the scene with the 12" Vinyl LP Album, a testament to the prowess of one of Belgium's few Speed Metal bands. Released on Mausoleum Records, this album encapsulates the raw power and intensity that define Warhead's contribution to the Speed Metal genre.

    Thumbnail of WARHEAD - The Day After album front cover
    WARHEAD - The Day After

    Warhead’s “The Day After” hit like a sharpened upgrade to their earlier chaos—Belgian Heavy Metal evolved into something leaner and meaner. Patrick Van Londerzele’s voice claws through apocalyptic riffs while the band balances fury with precision. It’s a record where underground grit meets a surprisingly disciplined firestorm.

    Mausoleum Vinyl Records Discography

    MAUSOLEUM Records: Belgian keepers of a vast vinyl legacy. Founded in 1980, their catalog spans heavy metal, hard rock, and punk. Discover rare gems, cult classics, and legendary artists. Dive into their discography and unearth the sonic treasures waiting to be spun.