Celtic Frost
Formed: 1984
From:
Zürich,
Switzerland
Last Known Status: Disbanded
Background
Formed from the remains of seminal death/black metal pioneers Hellhammer in June 1984, with every one of their releases both in the Billboard and UK charts, the Swiss-American Celtic Frost were a pivotal influence on both the extreme metal and gothic metal genres, establishing many of the musical elements that have since become synonymous with bands such as Sepultura, Pantera, Therion, Emperor, Melvins, Paradise Lost, Cradle of Filth, Foo Fighters, Darkthrone, Dimmu Borgir, Obituary, Nile, and uncounted others.
The primal fury captured on Celtic Frost's first album, "Morbid Tales" (1984), and the subsequent EP, "Emperor's Return" (1985), have been widely emulated and are cited as influences on such recordings as Nirvana's "In Utero" (1993). Co-founders and co-writers Tom Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom Gabriel Warrior, voice and guitars) and Martin Eric Ain (bass) created stark and compelling vistas reminiscent of the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Aleister Crowley, and Charles Baudelaire. Fischer's trademark nordic warrior vocals and Celtic Frost's unique combination of a primitive yet at the same time highly intricate sonic assault soon made the group one of the leaders of extreme metal. Lyrically, Fischer and Ain depicted civilizations crumbling into decay, capturing the parallels between the corrosive and dark nature of a year's concluding seasons and the recurring collapse of human empires. The addition in early 1985 of legendary US drummer Reed St. Mark enabled the group to take a quantum leap both in the studio and on stage.
The group's second album, "To Mega Therion" (1985), was an epic evolution of the concept, now adding orchestral instrumentation to increasingly heavy songwriting. Swiss surrealist artist and Oscar-winner ("Alien") H.R. Giger's mentorship yielded visually brooding counterparts to Fischer/Ain's artistic vision, with Giger's paintings "Satan I" (1977) and "Victory III" (1981-83) gracing the album's cover. "To Mega Therion" would become a landmark release for an entire scene.
The "Tragic Serenades" EP (1986) featured cover art reminiscential of the "Sisters of Mercy", and the subsequent successful second tour of Europe and North America set the stage for the milestone experimental album "Into the Pandemonium" (1987), often regarded as the band's most pivotal release next to "To Mega Therion". Merging extreme metal with the band's passion for an early Wave scene dominated by acts such as Bauhaus, Wall of Voodoo or Siouxie and the Banshees, the album included sheer brutality ("Inner Sanctum" and "Babylon Fell"), Goth/New Wave vocals ("Mesmerized"); sampling/EBM fusions ("One In Their Pride"); melodic metal ("I Won't Dance"), and bombastic orchestral pieces ("Rex Irae" and "Oriental Masquerade").
Adorned with a detail scene of the "Hell" part of Hieronymus Bosch's famous triptych "Garden of Delights", and foreshadowing complex neo-classical metal artists like My Dying Bride and Apocalyptica, "Into the Pandemonium" received raving critical reviews all over the globe. The subsequent "I Won't Dance" EP (1986) with its legendary Isolde Ohlbaum cover art completed what was the band's most pronounced statement so far.
But Celtic Frost's line-up, now featuring an additional guitarist in order to enable the live performance of the increasingly complex songs, disintegrated at the end of an extended and highly successful UK/US tour, in late 1987. More than twelve months of legal disagreements with record company Noise Records, who had repeatedly tampered both with "Into the Pandemonium" and the group's artistic freedom, had exerted too much pressure on the line-up and also taken a devastating financial toll. Celtic Frost had defended the group's paramount principle of artistic integrity virtually to the point of total destruction.
On the basis of a new recording contract negotiated between the bands then manager and with CBS/Epic, Celtic Frost regrouped in mid-1988 and began work on a new album. The sessions initially included Ain and drummer Reed St. Mark, then a new line-up that Fischer would later find "completely unsuited" for Celtic Frost's conceptual vision. The resulting album was not the much-rumored mythical and ultimate Celtic Frost project "Necronomicon" but the dysfunctional and radically controversial hardrock album "Cold Lake" (1988), a release which virtually alienated many fans due to its visuals alone.
Two years later, Celtic Frost concluded months of recording sessions at Berlin's Hansa Studios by releasing the complex and metal album "Vanity/Nemesis" (1990), produced by Roli Mosimann (Faith No More, Young Gods, Marilyn Manson, Björk). It was widely regarded as an exceptionally strong comeback. Along with drummer Stephen Priestly, who had already played on Celtic Frost's first album, Martin Eric Ain had returned to the fold. Cover versions of David Bowie's "Heroes" and Bryan Ferry,'s "This Island Earth" paid homage to some of the artistic roots of Celtic Frost.
The group was now active almost exclusively in the UK and in North America and thus began the two-year development of the long-awaited successor to the dark visions of "Into the Pandemonium" overseas. It was intended to be a double album with the title of "Under Apollyon's Sun". Following the release of the unique career retrospective "Parched With Thirst Am I And Dying" (1992), featuring much unreleased musical and visual material, the group mutually decided to terminate all work on "Under Apollyon's Sun" in spite of its advanced state and to pursue separate paths instead.
Among various projects evolving from the ashes of Celtic Frost was the Fischer-instigated industrial/EBM project Apollyon Sun, which continued to develop his unique personal vision with an advanced concept. Considered the "elder statesmen" of innovative metal, Fischer and Ain saw their uncompromising conceptual framework and intricate instrumental orchestration blossom into an influence for several cutting-edge genres of today's modern metal, while Celtic Frost have been name-dropped by fellow artists from Satyricon to Creed to Marilyn Manson.
By 1999, an overdue modernization of the Celtic Frost catalogue became possible in cooperation with a now significantly transformed Noise Records. Returning from years of extreme reclusiveness, and working together with the original members of Celtic Frost for the first time in as long a time, Fischer oversaw the re-construction, re-mastering, and production of the five key albums of the group in Berlin in 1999 and 2000. These luxurious official re-issues were released to overwhelming acclaim by media and fans alike and also featured the restored original artwork, EP covers, conceptual packaging, unpublished photos, individual liner notes, complete lyrics, and unreleased music from each album recording session. The re-issue project coincided with the publication Fischer's much-lauded first book, a Celtic Frost autobiography titled "Are You Morbid?" (2000). The book is one of the few first hand reports on the birth of extreme metal during the early 1980s and the resulting branch of the music industry.
The creativity disinterred in the course of the work on the renovation of the band's back catalogue was far more than the re-issue project was designed to absorb, and Fischer and Ain, together with former Apollyon Sun guitarist Erol Unala, eventually began work on an actual new Celtic Frost album, the band's first in over a decade. St. Mark's position in the group, initially left void due to serious health issues, was eventually taken by highly renowned Swiss underground drummer Franco Sesa. Moreover, Ain and Fischer reanimated their old production company, Prowling Death Records, which in 1983 had already released the Hellhammer demos, to finance the new Celtic Frost album and retain full control of the project by the group up to the day of the new album's release.
In late 2004, Fischer partially opened the secretive and protected realm of Celtic Frost's inner sanctum to the outside world by beginning to chronicle the making of the album on his high-traffic blog "Delineation". Surprising to many, this journal revealed a group again driven by misanthropic vulnerability and nihilistic darkness, a group aiming at surpassing everything it had created before, a group whose protagonists proceeded even more courageously than they had on ground-breaking works such as "To Mega Therion" or "Into the Pandemonium". The final days of 2005 saw Celtic Frost signing a worldwide licensing agreement with Century Media, paving the way for the release of the material. Titled "Monotheist" and scheduled for a release in spring 2006, Celtic Frost's new album was produced by the band and co-produced by Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Dimmu Borgir, Immortal). It is extremely dark, inventive, and radically heavy. The album is to be followed in 2006/2007 by concerts on all continents, allowing Celtic Frost to play for more fans on one single tour than they had in the entire previous history of the band.
official Celtic Frost website press release
Latest Celtic Frost News
Below is our complete Celtic Frost news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
Displaying records 101 - 120 of 129 1 2 ... 4 5 6 7 Last
Column
This Week In Metal - August 10th, 2006
Welcome to the return of This Week In Metal, a column I used to do before I was forced to take a hiatus from metalunderground.com. In this weekly column, we will update the top 10 selling albums in the metal industry (courtesy of CMJ) and the top 10 radio singles (pulled from Music Match). They use a number of sources for the list, including all satellite radio. While you may find a few bands that are too soft for the list, I assure you there will be more then enough surprises. Feel free to comment on the list and who you think is over/under-rated, what bands you expected to see and which ones you didn't. Again this column will run weekly, so be sure to check for it every Thursday in the columns area of MetalUnderground.com.
Now for the music, we will start each week with the albums. It's a good mix of what bands are bursting the underground, and some bands that have been killing for quite a while now.
| Rank | Band | Album | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadows Fall | Fallout From The War | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | SYL | The New Black | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | All That Remains | The Fall Of Ideas | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Dragonforce | Inhuman Range | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Cattle Decapitation | Karma.Bloody.Karma | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | Stone Sour | Come What(ever) May | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | BTBAM | The Anatomy Of | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | Cellador | Enter Deception | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | The Acacia Strain | Dead Walk | 1 | 9 |
| 10 | Bury Your Dead | Beauty And The Breakdown | 1 | 10 |
Now for the tunes. These singles are a real who's who amongst metal right now. I find the list to be powerful and only really have one flaw. Keep in mind some songs have been out longer then others and have picked up a good fanbase on the radio, other songs have just come out and are sure to see their time at the top.
| Rank | Band | Song | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadows Fall | Will To Rebuild | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Stone Sour | 3030/150 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Lamb of God | Redneck | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | BTBAM | Malpractice | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | All That Remains | This Calling | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | Slayer | Cult | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | Threat Signal | Rational Eyes | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | Celtic Frost | Ground. | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | Black Label Society | Concrete Jungle | 1 | 9 |
| 10 | Hatebreed | Defeatist | 1 | 10 |
Celtic Frost Announce Support On US Tour
Celtic Frost have announced the addition of renowned Norwegian black metal bands 1349 and Sahg for the group’s fall 2006 North American tour. The bands will support Celtic Frost from September 12 (Springfield, Virginia) to October 2, 2006 (Portland, Oregon). Norway’s cult black metal band 1349 features Satyricon drummer Frost, and doom supergroup Sahg features notable Norwegian black metal stars Manngard, 2005 Norwegian Grammy award winner Audrey Horne and former Gorgoroth members King and Kvitrafn. These will be the first North American shows for both bands.
Goatwhore will support the band from October 3 (San Francisco, California) to the end of the tour November 11, 2006 (Johnson City, New York). Additionally, American drone/doom stars Sunn O))) will join the tour for the Pacific Coast dates from October 3 (San Francisco, California) to October 9 (Las Vegas, Nevada). The North American tour runs for eight weeks. Here is the complete list of tour dates: More...
Celtic Frost Management Offers Tom Fischer Update
CELTIC FROST manager Antje Lange has issued the following statement:
"Over the last couple of days we have received a lot of questions regarding the health of Tom Fischer [CELTIC FROST frontman], as well as a ton of 'get well' notices. Here is an explanation of recent developments.
"At around 7pm on June 3rd, Tom was admitted to a hospital in Gelsenkirchen [Germany] as his kidneys were causing him a great deal of pain. After several check-ups he was diagnosed with a kidney stone that was about to dislocate.
"Tom's pain was so strong that only several large doses of morphine gave him any relief. Accordingly he was unable to perform at the Rock Hard Festival that very evening.
"Martin [Ain, bass], Franco [Sesa, drums] and especially Tom are extremely unhappy with the way things turned out and would like to apologise to all their fans who waited in vain for their set. CELTIC FROST were looking forward to their first [German] gig in 15 years and were determined to present a great show. Unfortunately, on this occasion it was not to be.
"CELTIC FROST would like to thank all the other bands who entered the stage on the spur of the moment to make this a memorable evening for these fans. They would also like to thank the Rock Hard team, all their fans and Dr. Dielenschneider, the best doctor in the whole of Gelsenkirchen.
"Tom Gabriel Fischer has been transferred to a Zurich hospital and is undergoing a kidney operation as this press release is being typed. Instead of an easier to handle but more time-consuming method he has decided to have this operation as he wants to be able to perform again as soon as possible. He is adamant that he will perform at Sweden Rock [festival] this coming weekend and also fulfil all other forthcoming festival dates."
Celtic Frost's "Monotheist" First-Week U.S. Sales
CELTIC FROST's "comeback" effort, "Monotheist", has sold just under 2,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The group's first album in 13 years was produced by the band with Peter Tagtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN) and features 11 songs. The CD was released simultaneously in all territories in three different configurations, including a limited-edition digipak containing the bonus track "Temple Of Depression", and a vinyl LP with another bonus title, "Incantation Against You".
CELTIC FROST cancelled their scheduled appearance at the Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany Saturday night (June 3) after mainman Thomas Gabriel Fischer was rushed to the hospital, where "he was diagnosed with a kidney stone that was about to dislocate," according to the group's management. He has since been transferred to a Zurich hospital and is undergoing a kidney operation. "He is adamant that he will perform at Sweden Rock [festival] this coming weekend and also fulfill all other forthcoming festival dates," the management said in a press release.
Celtic Frost Announce New Touring Guitarist
The Emperors return! On the eve of next week’s European warm-up shows, prior to their June 3 Rock Hard Festival debut, Swiss metal pioneers CELTIC FROST have announced the addition of Norwegian guitar player Anders Odden to their touring line-up. Odden, who has played with Apoptygma Berzerk, Satyricon, Cadaver, and Mayhem, auditioned for the group in April, and returned to Zurich, Switzerland, CELTIC FROST's base, last week for dedicated tour rehearsals. A life-long CELTIC FROST devotee, Odden will be performing with the band for their summer festival performances ( full band itinerary here).
Celtic Frost Post New Song Available For Streaming
A brand new CELTIC FROST track, entitled "Ground", has been made available for streaming at this location. The song comes off the group's long-awaited "comeback" CD, "Monotheist", due on May 30 via Century Media Records (one day earlier internationally).
CELTIC FROST's first album in 13 years, "Monotheist" (view artwork by Michel Casarramona and Martin Eric Ain at this location) features 11 songs produced by the band with Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN).
The album will be released simultaneously in all territories in three different configurations including a limited-edition digipak containing the bonus track "Temple Of Depression" and a vinyl LP with another bonus title, "Incantation Against You".
Sodom Frontman Slams Celtic Frost, Venom
SODOM frontman Thomas "Tom Angelripper" Such has slammed CELTIC FROST and VENOM for their comeback attempts, claiming that neither band is worthy of the attention being given to them by the metal media and fans alike. In a brand-new interview with the German webzine Terrorverlag (web site), Angelripper had the following to say when asked about both bands' upcoming albums and touring plans (translated from German):
On CELTIC FROST:
"I don't know what to think about that. The last few albums they released as CELTIC FROST were crap. OK, I'm sure that they are making a great [new] album, but I can't really trust them, coming back after all these years. . . Now they're getting a huge push, playing as headliners at the Wacken Open Air and Rock Hard Open Air festivals. We in SODOM have been playing and working our asses off non-stop for 25 years and we've never been invited to play the Rock Hard Festival! That really sucks! Maybe we should take a break for 15 years and then come back in wheelchairs. I'm sure then we would get a chance to play at some of those festivals!"
On VENOM:
"I've heard some of the new songs and they do not come close to 'Welcome to Hell', 'Possessed', 'Black Metal' or 'At War with Satan' in any way. Their time is over! The entire thing seems to me to be about making some quick money."
You can read the entire interview (in German) here.
SODOM's new self-titled album is scheduled for release in Germany on April 21, in Europe April 24 and in the USA May 9 via SPV Records.
Celtic Frost Announce N. American Tour Dates
CELTIC FROST have announced two months of North American tour dates supporting their forthcoming May 30th release, Monotheist. Commencing September 11th and running through November 11th, the extensive tour will reintroduce the band's mesmerizing live performance to their ravenous fanbase. Also scheduled are European festival performances throughout the summer. When asked what fans can expect from the tour and the new album, vocalist/guitarist Tom Gabriel Fischer said, "CELTIC FROST are very proud to announce their most extensive tour ever of the North American continent. In anticipation of Century Media's May 30th, 2006, release of our darkest and heaviest manifest to date, the Monotheist album, we are preparing a collection of truly morbid old and new CELTIC FROST music. Join us at these special services of worship and be part of the reappearance of one the world's most fervent and passionate visions. We will be honored to welcome you."
The albums was co-produced by Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Dimmu Borgir) and features guest vocal appearances from Lisa Middlehauve (Xandria), Satyr (Satyricon), and Ravn (1349).
While dates were previously released on Pollstar, this list is the most recent and contains a few dates than the previous list. Still, more dates are expected to be added to the North American Tour.
NORTH AMERICAN CELTIC FROST TOUR DATES: More...
Celtic Frost Plan North American Tour
Pollstar have posted more dates for CELTIC FROST's upcoming North American tour.
Here are all the confirmed dates thus far:
Sept. 12 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Sept. 13 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Sept. 14 - New York, NY - B.B. King's Blues Club
Sept. 15 - New York, NY - B.B. King's Blues Club
Sept. 16 - Montreal, QC - Le Medley
Sept. 18 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
Sept. 19 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theatre
Sept. 20 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
Sept. 22 - Detroit, MI - Harpo's
Sept. 23 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
Sept. 25 - Winnipeg, MB - Royal Albert Hotel
Sept. 27 - Calgary, AB - The Warehouse
Sept. 28 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room
Sept. 30 - Victoria, BC - Sugar Nightclub
Oct. 1 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Oct. 2 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
Oct. 3 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
Oct. 4 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
Oct. 6 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues
Oct. 7 - West Hollywood, CA - House Of Blues
Oct. 8 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
Oct. 9 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
Oct. 11 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
Oct. 12 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
Oct. 13 - El Paso, TX - The Zone
Oct. 14 - San Antonio, TX - Sunset Station
Oct. 16 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
Oct. 17 - Sauget, IL - Pop's
Oct. 19 - Fort Worth, TX - Ridglea Theatre
Oct. 20 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Oct. 21 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues
Oct. 23 - Tampa, FL - The Masquerade
Oct. 24 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
Oct. 25 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House Of Blues
Oct. 27 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Oct. 28 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House Of Blues
Oct. 29 - Fayetteville, NC - Jesters Pub
Oct. 31 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall
Nov. 2 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
As previously reported, CELTIC FROST's new album, "Monotheist", is scheduled to be released in Europe on May 29 and on the following day, May 30, in North America through Century Media.
Ex-Celtic Frost Guitarist Open To Rejoining Band
Former CELTIC FROST guitarist Ron Marks, who had previously publicly stated that he would "practically swim to Switzerland to be in CELTIC FROST again," has issued a statement commenting on the band's recent split with guitarist Erol Unala.
Said Marks: "I've been flooded with emails and phone messages about the current situation with CELTIC FROST. I'm quite flattered that so many are thinking of me and I thank you all. As I'd said previously, I still hold a very warm spot in my heart for the band and for Tom [Fischer, guitar/vocals] and Martin [Ain, bass] as friends. Should they be willing to have me back, I would certainly be interested in discussing it with them. I have no idea if they're at home or out somewhere doing promo but Tom has my phone number and email address should he choose to contact me.
"Thanks again all those who've extended their kind words and wishes. As always, we'll hope for the best."
Ron can be reached at rmlead@hotmail.com.
Marks is currently his own project called SUBSONIC, whose sophomore album, "No Such Soul", is available worldwide from Sonic Wave International. The follow-up to 2002's "Super-Vel" (Outlaw Entertainment) includes a hidden track, "Horror Vacua" — a song Ron originally wrote for CELTIC FROST, but which was never recorded by the influential Swiss outfit.
More Bands Confirmed For Tuska Open Air
VENOM, CELTIC FROST and OPETH are among the confirmed bands for the ninth annual Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, set to take place June 20 – July 2 at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki, Finland. A total of 32 bands will perform on three stages over the course of three days. In addition, a couple of dozen bands will be appearing at the infamous evening clubs during the three-day festival run. The festival billing is shaping up as follows: More...
Celtic Frost Confirms "Monotheist" Release Date
It’s Official: The release date of CELTIC FROST’s long-awaited return strike, Monotheist, has been confirmed as May 29th (Europe) / May 30th, 2006 (North America).
Four years in the making, the album is formed around brilliant conceptual lyrical ideas. Followed by extensive live activities during this summer and beyond, CELTIC FROST are more than ready to present themselves in the flesh after such a long absence.
Additionally, CELTIC FROST have just been confirmed as the headliner of Germany’s annual Rock Hard Festival. Organized by the renowned German hard rock/metal magazine, Rock Hard, the festival runs June 2nd to 4th, 2006. Further festivals headlined by the band include Germany’s Wacken Open Air Festival, Sweden Rock, With Full Force (Germany), Tuska Festival (Finland) and Hole In The Sky (Norway).
The "Monotheist" track listing is as follows:
1. Progeny
2. Ground
3. A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh
4. Drown In Ashes
5. Os Abysmi Vel Daath
6. Obscured
7. Domain Of Decay
8. Ain Elohim
Triptych:
9. Totengott
10. Synagoga Satanae
11. Winter (Requiem, Chapter Three: Finale)
Celtic Frost Signs To Century Media
Celtic Frost and Century Media had signed an international licensing agreement covering all territories. The first release, scheduled for Spring 2006, is the band's highly anticipated new album titled Monotheist, Celtic Frost's first album in 13 years. The album features 11 songs produced by the band with Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy/Pain).
"Monotheist"'s track list is as follows:
1. Progeny
2. Ground
3. A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh
4. Drown In Ashes
5. Os Abysmi Vel Daath
6. Obscured
7. Domain Of Decay
8. Ain Elohim
Triptych:
9. Totengott
10. Synagoga Satanae
11. Winter (Requiem, Chapter Three: Finale)
The album will be released simultaneously in all territories in three different configurations including a limited-edition Digipak containing the bonus track "Temple Of Depression" and a vinyl LP with another bonus title, "Incantation Against You".
"I am extremely excited to have such a high profile legend joining the Century Media Records repertoire," says Oliver Withöft, Managing Director of Century Media Records. "Their new album is a historic comeback."
Celtic Frost will support the release of Monotheist by numerous live appearances in 2006. The band will play a full North American tour in fall 2006. In Europe the following festival performances have been confirmed:
- Sweden Rock
- Wacken Open Air, Germany
- With Full Force, Germany
- Hole In the Sky, Norway
- Tuska, Finland
More shows and festivals will be added soon and further information regarding the release date and Monotheist will follow.
Celtic Frost Explain Album Delay
CELTIC FROST men Tom Gabriel Fischer (guitar, vocals) and Martin Eric Ain (bass) recently talked to U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine about the reasons for the long delay in the recording of their first new album in 15 years, "Monotheist".
Tom: "Everything you can think of happened. I cannot describe it any other way. From technical problems to personal problems to song writing developement - anything you can imagine. With hindsight I'm glad we let it mature because now it's exactly where we imagined it would be when we first talked about this. Any time before would have been nice for that f ans - I've read all the complaints on the CELTIC FROST board."
Martin: "You should keep in mind in that regard that this wasn't about a band writing an album, it was about forming a band and writing an album. We had to get ourselves back together again and redefine our relationship. We had loose contact over the years, and I'd been out of the gamefor years and had to get myself into CELTIC FROST mode. We also had to find a drummer. So it was forming a band and then writing the material."
Tom: "We recorded tons of demos that nobody will ever hear. Some are finished and mixed, some are just basics. That was very important for the gestation of this album. Also, we were under no obligation to release an album by a certain date. This wasn't a band coming back together because management and record company offered a lot of money. we did it because we wanted to. We had total independence. We did the album on our own time and since we had already waited 15 years, what difference would a month or 10 months make? We wanted to make the album the way it needed to be."
CELTIC FROST's first album in 13 years, "Monotheist" will be released during the spring on an as-yet-undisclosed label. The culmination of some three and a half years of songwriting and recording work, the album was largely produced by the band themselves and financed by their own production company, with additional assistance from HYPOCRISY / PAIN mastermind Peter Togtgren during the final recording and mixing sessions at Horus Sound Studio in Hanover, Germany. Original CELTIC FROST members Fischer (voice and guitars) and Martin Eric Ain (bass) are joined by Erol Unala (guitar) and Franco Sesa (drums). The band are now managed by Antje Lange for The A Label in Berlin, Germany.
Celtic Frost's "Monotheist" Tracklisting Revealed
Celtic Frost mainman Tom Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom G. Warrior) recently revealed the complete track listing for the band's new album "Monotheist" in an interview with the U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine.
The group's first album in 13 years, "Monotheist" will be released during the spring on an as-yet-undetermined label. The culmination of some three and a half years of songwriting and recording work, the album was largely produced by the band themselves and financed by their own production company, with additional assistance from Hypocrisy/Pain mastermind Peter Tägtgren during the final recording and mixing sessions at Horus Sound Studio in Hanover, Germany. Original Celtic Frost members Fischer (voice and guitars) and Martin Eric Ain (bass) are joined by Erol Unala (guitar) and Franco Sesa (drums). The band are now managed by Antje Lange for The A Label in Berlin, Germany.
"Monotheist" track listing:
01. Progeny
02. Ground
03. A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh
04. Drown In Ashes
05. Os Abysmi Vel Daath
06. Temple Of Depression (bonus track)
07. Obscured
08. Domain of Decay
09. Ain Elohim
10. Totengott
11. Synagoga Satanae
12. Winter (Requiem, Chapter Three)
Read Tom Gabriel Fischer's full interview with Terrorizer in the magazine's issue 140, on sale January 5.
Celtic Frost Announce First Dates For US Tour
Seminal avant-garde metal pioneers CELTIC FROST have announced the following US show for late next year:
September 12 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
September 13 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
September 14 - New York, NY @ B.B. King Blues Club
September 15 - New York, NY @ B.B. King Blues Club
Celtic Frost Confirmed For Wacken Open Air 2006
Celtic Frost have been confirmed for Wacken Open Air 2006. The band will play a "best of" show with new songs on the Blackstage on August 4th. Other bands set to play the festival include The confirmed bands for Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Children of Bodom, Emperor, In Extremo, Soilwork and Subway to Sally.
New Celtic Frost Album Update, World Tour Plans
Four years in the making, the new CELTIC FROST album, 'Dark Matter Manifest', is promising a return to the ground breaking experimentalisation and attitude of its infamous predecessors. Talking with Garry Sharpe-Young, band leader Tom Fischer revealed that not only will the music be "as heavy and as radical as ever" but that the band are projecting a major tour to coincide.
"Our agents is booking shows left and right for this record. We want to be on tour for a long time and we aim to visit a lot of countries that CELTIC FROST never made it to before" said Fischer.
Watch out for special shows too. "We plan to film one or two shows with more instruments than a normal concert. I know that METALLICA have defined this but CELTIC FROST in recent years was doing this 20 years ago so now it's time to reproduce a lot of the songs we could never have played live before. Now the band can play every song from every album."
Tom also revealed that the APOLLYON SUN project is not over, but merely on ice and that he plans a solo album. "Martin (Ain) listened to the demos and has described it as CELTIC FROST played by synthesizers" he states. "I'm recording it with a female bass player. It's very advanced, kind of Dark Wave / Electro. Like THE SISTERS OF MERCY or DEPECHE MODE but very, very dark."
Celtic Frost and Emperor Coming To the US?
According the Virginia based venue Jaxx's official site you should E-mail them at jaxxwebmaster@comcast.net if you would be interested in seeing CELTIC FROST and EMPEROR perform live - therefore hinting at the possibility of the bands coming to the US for a tour.
Interview with Former Celtic Frost Guitarist
In a recent interview with Australia's Inside_Out666, Ron Marks, ( ex- CELTIC FROST, now in SUBSONIC) spoke about his time with the Legendary Swiss metallers. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:
Inside_Out666: I want to talk to you a little about your time with CELTIC FROST. What comes to mind when you look back on those experiences?
Ron Marks: "Pride! Like with any musical movement, something happens and a million bands jump on it. FROST has fared very well as time goes by. I'm really glad that the legend continues and all the rest of it, but the thing I am most proud of is that you can put a FROST CD on today and it still sounds really cool, it's still competitive and sounds fresh to me. I'm a musician to a fault and that always comes first to me. Tom [Fischer] and Martin [Ain] are geniuses when it comes to writing; I love how intelligent the lyrics are. Reed St. Mark is one of my favorite drummers on the planet. I was a lucky [son of a bitch]; I knew it was great band when I sent them my demo. I could have been in a lot of other bands that were apart of that movement that didn't fare as well as FROST. I was very fortunate that they asked me to join."More...