Celtic Frost
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Celtic Frost | |
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 Celtic Frost live at Tuska Open Air Metal Festival 2006.
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Genre(s) | Extreme metal (early) Avant-garde metal Gothic metal (later) (see below) |
| Years active | 1984–1993 2001-2008 |
| Label(s) | Century Media |
| Associated acts | Apollyon Sun Hellhammer Mind Funk Triptykon |
| Website | www.celticfrost.com |
| Members | |
| Martin Eric Ain Franco Sesa |
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| Former members | |
| Tom Gabriel Fischer Curt Victor Bryant Oliver Amberg Ron Marks Dominic Steiner Reed St. Mark Stephen Priestly Erol Unala |
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Celtic Frost were an influential heavy metal band from Zürich, Switzerland that formed in 1984 originally, and then again in 2001, after breaking up. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal and gothic metal genres.[1]
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[edit] History
Celtic Frost's former frontman, guitarist and singer Tom Gabriel Fischer, adopted the alias Tom Warrior. With Steve Warrior on bass, he formed one of the earliest extreme metal bands, Hellhammer, in 1982. Steve Warrior was later replaced by Martin Eric Ain - also a pseudonym. The band attracted a small international fan-base, got signed to Noise Records in Germany and recorded their debut EP Apocalyptic Raids in March 1984, now a rare finding on e-Bay or second hand record stores around the world.
By May 1984, Hellhammer had disbanded. Fischer and Ain, along with session drummer Stephen Priestly, regrouped as Celtic Frost. Their 1984 debut LP, Morbid Tales was a hit on the underground metal scene, and the band set out on its first tour, through Germany and Austria. This was followed with an EP "Emperor's Return". Both early releases are now available on the one CD. One of their more influential recordings was 1985's "To Mega Therion", followed in 1987 by Into the Pandemonium. These albums were some of the pivotal LPs for underground metal and inducted a new and more varied sound. Celtic Frost, along with Venom and Bathory were pioneers in the still underground black metal scene, although Celtic Frost were much more experimental with the addition of classical instruments, opera vocals and sampling. They were given the new title of avant-garde metal.
After a subsequent North American tour (which saw the addition of a second guitarist, Ron Marks to the groups ranks), financial trouble, personal tension between the band members and an ill-fated relationship with their record label led to a complete dissolution of the band. Six months later, Warrior decided to reform the band with Stephen Priestly back on drums, Oliver Amberg on guitars and Curt Victor Bryant on bass. The resulting album Cold Lake was a disappointment to most of the group's established fan-base but achieved notable success in the North American market. Bryant fired Amberg and former live guitarist Ron Marks returned as a guest for the recording of Vanity/Nemesis in 1990. The most significant change, however, was the return of early bassist Martin Eric Ain. But Celtic Frost's reputation did not fully recover. The group's next (and, as it would turn out, last for several years) album was a collection of rare and unreleased recordings called Parched With Thirst Am I and Dying (1992). The compilation's title was inspired by an old Roman prayer. It featured unreleased material, re-recorded versions of older songs and some studio session versions, closing the chapter on one of the most underground and experimental bands of all time.
A final album titled "Under Apollyon's Sun" never eventuated under that title, although Fischer co-founded a new group called Apollyon Sun.
[edit] Apollyon Sun
Several years following the disbanding of Celtic Frost, and after quite some time spent away from the music industry, Fischer co-founded a new group called Apollyon Sun with his close friend Erol Unala on guitars in the mid-1990s and recorded an EP God Leaves (And Dies) and a full-length album Sub. Although clearly based on Celtic Frost's dark and more adventurous music, Apollyon Sun was a industrial metal project. During his hiatus from music, Fischer had also finished work on an autobiographical book, called Are You Morbid?, which was published by London-based Sanctuary Publishing to fan acclaim in 2000.
[edit] Comeback
In late 2001, Fischer and Ain began to write music together again, along with Unala on guitar and, from late 2002, experienced Swiss drummer Franco Sesa (also known within the group as the Inverted Cross). The aim was to develop and record a new, very dark and heavy album. The completion of the project took far longer than anticipated (in part due to the DIY nature of the project and the project's financing) but finally resulted, in late 2005, in what Fischer and Ain describe as "perhaps the darkest album Celtic Frost have ever recorded", based on a combination of the musical aura of To Mega Therion and Into The Pandemonium.
The newest and seventh Celtic Frost album was financed by the group itself through its own imprint, Prowling Death Records, and publishing imprint, Diktatur des Kapitals. Prowling Death Records originally was the self-founded underground label which released the Hellhammer demos and managed Hellhammer's career in 1983 and 1984. The album was produced by Celtic Frost with Peter Tägtgren (of Bloodbath/Hypocrisy/Pain fame) and mixed by Fischer and Ain. Celtic Frost and Prowling Death Records subsequently entered into a worldwide licensing deal with Century Media Records. The album, titled "Monotheist", was released on May 30th, 2006.
On May 29, 2006, Celtic Frost embarked on the most extensive tour of the band's career, the "Monotheist Tour", initially headlining festivals (e.g. the Wacken Open Air festival, in front of an audience of 50,000) across Europe the United States and Canada in 2006, and the group's first ever shows in Japan in January 2007. In early 2007 the European leg of the tour took place and a return to the United States as a special guest to Type O Negative. Further festival appearances and concerts followed in mid-2007.
On stage, Celtic Frost play with an additional tour guitar player. This position was initially filled by Anders Odden (Cadaver, Apoptygma Berzerk, Magenta), now by V Santura (of Dark Fortress).
In early 2007, Celtic Frost began writing material for a new album, possibly due for release in 2008.
Metalunderground posted a statement from Tom Fischer regarding the new album.
"Only a few hours until I am to depart to Norway for a few weeks to participate in the production of a black metal project with close friends and peers. In early March I shall return to Switzerland to take further steps towards the realization of my own black metal/doom side project, the idea for which has taken an increasingly defined shape during the past months."
Fischer spoke to Spanish metal webzine Hall of Metal recently about new material: "I’m actually working on a new album of Celtic Frost and I think it’s going to be really extreme and dark. Celtic Frost has its own style, its own sound and it expresses a lot of emotions. The music I write shows the state of my life, and now I feel very comfortable with such dark music."
Fischer tendered his resignation from Celtic Frost on April 9th, 2008, with this message displayed on the band's official website:
"Celtic Frost singer and guitarist Tom Gabriel Fischer has left Celtic Frost due to the irresolvable, severe erosion of the personal basis so urgently required to collaborate within a band so unique, volatile, and ambitious."
[edit] Genre
As Celtic Frost changed their sound throughout their career their exact genre has been a topic of debate. They have been labeled with various metal genres by the media and it continues today. Their earlier music is often classified as black metal, Down-tempo, and thrash metal, while their later work as death metal, Experimental, and Thrash Metal. The level of experimentation on albums like To Mega Therion and Into the Pandemonium, lead certain journalists to describe the band's direction as avant-garde metal
[edit] Influences
Celtic Frost have influenced a number of black, death, thrash, and heavy metal bands. The band Therion, for example, took its band name from the album To Mega Therion.[2] Other bands that have cited Celtic Frost as an influence, or have covered Celtic Frost, include Melvins, Opeth, Sigh, Opera IX, Evoken, Nile, Amorphis, Stormtroopers of Death, Paradise Lost, Anathema, Nirvana, HIM, Dimmu Borgir, The Gathering, Sarcófago, Sepultura, Samael, Tiamat, Black Crucifixion, Emperor, Mayhem, My Dying Bride, Darkthrone, Satyricon, High on Fire, Nokturnal Mortum, Obituary, Gorgoroth, Mortician, Noothgrush, Las Cruces and many others. Dave Grohl (ex-Nirvana, Foo Fighters) has stated on several occasions that Celtic Frost were an influence. He subsequently invited Celtic Frost singer Tom Gabriel Fischer to participate in the recordings of his 2004 solo project, Probot, resulting in the co-written song "Big Sky".
Despite this, when frontman Tom was asked to comment on their influence on heavy metal, he replied "no, I try to stay away from that. I'm a musician, I don't want to get involved with all that. It's not healthy. I want to do good albums. I'm still alive and I feel there's still so much in front of me. I don't want to be bothered with who has influence and where we stand and all that. I think it's a negative thing."[1]
[edit] Band members
[edit] Current members
- Martin Eric Ain - bass guitar, vocals
- Franco Sesa - drums, percussion
- V Santura - guitar (tour)
[edit] Former members
- Tom Gabriel Fischer - vocals, guitars, programming (1984-2008)
- Reed St. Mark - drums, percussion (1985–1988, 1992–1993)
- Erol Unala - guitar (2001–2006)
- Curt Victor Bryant - guitar, bass guitar (1988–1993)
- Oliver Amberg - guitar (1988–1989)
- Ron Marks - guitar (1987)
- Anders Odden - guitar (tour)(2006–2007)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio Albums & EPs
- Morbid Tales (1984)
- Emperor's Return (EP, 1985)
- To Mega Therion (1985)
- Tragic Serenades (EP, 1986)
- Into the Pandemonium (1987)
- Cold Lake (1988)
- Vanity/Nemesis (1990)
- Monotheist (2006)
[edit] Compilations
[edit] Re-releases
- Morbid Tales/Emperor's Return (1999)
- To Mega Therion (1999)
- Into the Pandemonium (1999)
- Vanity/Nemesis (1999)
[edit] Videography
- Live At Hammersmith Odeon (VHS, 1989)
[edit] References
- ^ Celtic Frost Profile. Centurymedia.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
- ^ Interview with Christofer Jonhsson. Alternative-Zine.com (2004-05-03). Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Delineation - Tom Gabriel Fischer’s blog
- Interview with Martin Eric Ain, Broward-Palm Beach New Times, 2006-10-19
- Celtic Frost at MySpace
- Interview with Tom Fisher about new album, "www.metalunderground.com"
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