In June 1984, guitarist and vocalist Thomas Gabriel Fischer and bassist Martin Eric Ain formed Celtic Frost after disbanding their previous band, Hellhammer, a month earlier. Celtic Frost's debut record, Morbid Tales, was released in November of that year.[5] This was followed by the full-length studio albums To Mega Therion (1985) and Into the Pandemonium (1987).[2] All three records are considered highly influential landmarks in heavy metal. While each contains elements of avant-garde composition, Into the Pandemonium is particularly noted for its unique style and experimentation with musical boundaries beyond the heavy metal genre.
Celtic Frost's next album, Cold Lake (1988), featured a new lineup and a dramatic stylistic shift, which was widely criticized for its commercial and flamboyant tone.[2][4] After releasing Vanity/Nemesis (1990), the band temporarily disbanded. Celtic Frost re-formed in 2001 and released the critically acclaimed Monotheist (2006), eventually disbanding permanently following Fischer's departure in 2008.[6]
Celtic Frost's 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 1981. Steve Warrior was later replaced by Martin Eric Ain – also a pseudonym. The band attracted a small international fan base, was signed to Noise Records in Germany, and recorded their debut EP, Apocalyptic Raids, in March 1984.
Many metal-centered publications were skeptical of Hellhammer's musical efforts. Metal Forces loathed the group, sparking a lasting feud between the zine and Warrior, which prevented Celtic Frost from performing in England for several years.[11] Writers at Rock Power were similarly critical of Hellhammer, describing it as "the most terrible, abhorrent, and atrocious thing 'musicians' were ever allowed to record".[12] In fact, they were "receiving miserable reviews everywhere", Warrior concluded.[13]
Reflecting on the impact of his first band, Fischer said:
Way back in 1984 and 85, when Martin Eric Ain and I recorded Celtic Frost's first two albums Morbid Tales and To Mega Therion, Hellhammer stayed with us almost like a curse. Even though Hellhammer was the very reason we had reconsidered our goals and conceived the Frost, HH's remnants kept being significant obstacles in our path. Many people viewed Frost as simply a renamed version of the same band. The lack of musical quality in HH made it almost impossible for us to get an unbiased reaction for Frost. To make a long story short, it nearly destroyed all our work and dreams.[14]
By May 1984, Hellhammer had disbanded. Fischer and Ain, along with session drummer Stephen Priestly, regrouped as Celtic Frost. Their 1984 debut EP, Morbid Tales,[15] was well received in the underground metal scene, and the band embarked on its first tour, through Germany and Austria. This was followed by the EP Emperor's Return. Both of these early releases have since been packaged together and are available on a single CD.
The next of Celtic Frost's influential recordings was 1985's To Mega Therion, which did not feature Ain on bass, but instead used stand-in bassist Dominic Steiner. The cover artwork is a painting by H.R. Giger entitled Satan I, which Giger gifted to the band after corresponding with Fischer through the mail. The album was a major influence on the emerging genres of death metal and black metal.[16] Ain rejoined the band after the album was recorded.
Stylistic changes, internal struggles, and first breakup (1987–1993)
Into the Pandemonium was Celtic Frost’s second full-length album. The album employs a variety of musical styles.
In 1987, Celtic Frost released their second full-length studio album, Into the Pandemonium. The album is noticeably eclectic compared to the band's previous works, featuring love songs, industrial rhythmic pieces, symphonic and operatic influences, female vocal parts, and an unlikely cover of Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio."
The album is often regarded as a unique departure from the band's earlier material and helped solidify their description as an avant-garde band. It marks a shift away from the heavier, more direct style found on the band's previous releases, Morbid Tales and To Mega Therion, although these albums also contained elements of experimentation and symphonic collaboration. Into the Pandemonium blends a heavy metal foundation with elements of industrial and gothic rock, and even includes an electronic body music-inspired rhythm, particularly evident in the song "One in Their Pride." Despite this stylistic evolution, the album retains sparse elements of extreme metal, noticeable in Fischer's vocals and guitar work.
During a North American tour, the band added a second guitarist, Ron Marks. However, shortly thereafter, financial difficulties, along with tensions between band members and their record label, led to a brief dissolution of the group. Six months later, Warrior reformed the band, with Stephen Priestly returning on drums, Oliver Amberg on guitars, and Curt Victor Bryant on bass. This lineup recorded the studio album Cold Lake, released in September 1988 by Noise Records. Despite being marketed to capitalize on the mass appeal of glam metal, the album was poorly received, failing to resonate with fans of the band's extreme style.
Afterward, Bryant dismissed Amberg, leading to the return of former live guitarist Ron Marks for the recording of Vanity/Nemesis in 1990. Another significant change was the return of early bassist Martin Eric Ain. Despite these changes, Celtic Frost's reputation never fully recovered from the backlash caused by Cold Lake. In 1992, the band's label released a collection of rare recordings titled Parched with Thirst Am I and Dying, the title of which is derived from an ancient Roman prayer.[17] This compilation featured unreleased material, re-recorded versions of older songs, and studio session tracks.[17]
A final proposed album titled Under Apollyon's Sun was never completed, although Fischer would later co-found a new group called Apollyon Sun.
Post-breakup (1993–2001)
Several years after Celtic Frost disbanded, Fischer co-founded a new group called Apollyon Sun with his friend Erol Unala on guitar. They recorded an EP, God Leaves (And Dies), and a full-length album, Sub. Although rooted in Celtic Frost's more experimental sound, Apollyon Sun was an industrial metal project. During his hiatus from metal music, Fischer also completed an autobiographical book titled Are You Morbid?, which was published by London-based Sanctuary Publishing to fan acclaim in 2000.
Reunion and Monotheist (2001–2008)
Tom Warrior performing in 2006.
In late 2001, Fischer and Ain began writing music together, with Unala on guitar and, soon after in 2002, Swiss drummer Franco Sesa. Their goal was to develop and record a new dark and heavy album. The completion of the project took longer than anticipated, partly due to the DIY nature of the project and its financing, but it ultimately resulted in what Fischer and Ain described as "perhaps the darkest album Celtic Frost has ever recorded."
The final Celtic Frost album was financed by the band through its own label, Prowling Death Records. This label had originally been self-founded to release the Hellhammer demos and manage Hellhammer's career in 1983 and 1984. The album was produced by Celtic Frost with Peter Tägtgren and mixed by Fischer and Ain. Celtic Frost and Prowling Death Records eventually entered into a worldwide licensing deal with Century Media Records. The album, titled Monotheist, was released in May 2006. It was well-received by both critics and fans of the band. While experimental and heavy in nature, it is viewed as an evolution from the extreme metal styles first developed on Morbid Tales and To Mega Therion, as well as the avant-garde style of Into the Pandemonium.
On 29 May 2006, Celtic Frost embarked on the most extensive tour of the band's career, the Monotheist Tour. They initially headlined festivals (e.g., Wacken Open Air) across Europe and the United States/Canada in 2006, followed by the group's first-ever shows in Japan in early 2007. The European leg of the tour took place afterward, followed by a return to the United States to complete the tour with Type O Negative. Additional festival appearances and concerts continued in mid-2007.
On stage, Celtic Frost performed with an additional touring guitarist to handle rhythm guitar parts. This position was initially filled by Anders Odden, and later by V Santura.
Second breakup (2008–present)
There has been no discussion of recording a new album since the band's most recent breakup.[6] Celtic Frost's final two performances took place in Mexico: one on 12 October 2007, in Monterrey, and the last on the following day in Mexico City.
Celtic Frost performing in 2006.
Fischer resigned from Celtic Frost on 9 April 2008, with the following 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.
After this announcement, bassist Martin Eric Ain stated that the band was "still alive, albeit in a coma of sorts." He added that the remaining members would not "continue recording or touring," as it would be "preposterous" without Fischer.[18] Fischer went on to form the band Triptykon with Celtic Frost's touring guitarist V Santura, former Celtic Frost drummer Reed St. Mark, and bassist Vanja Slajh. Fischer stated that his new band would pursue a sound similar to the direction Celtic Frost took on their final album, Monotheist.[19]
On 9 September 2008, Celtic Frost's founding members, Martin Eric Ain and Tom Gabriel Fischer, confirmed on the band's official website that they had "jointly decided to lay Celtic Frost to rest for good".[6]
On 21 October 2017, Martin Eric Ain died at the age of 50 following a heart attack.[20]
In a 2021 interview with Heavy Culture, Tom Gabriel Fischer discussed the possibility of performing "one or two" Celtic Frost tribute shows in memory of Ain, featuring former members.[21] He clarified that he had no interest in reforming the band since his departure, but might reunite former members for tribute shows: "Should this ever happen, it would not be a permanent project, nor would it be 'Celtic Frost,' despite the fact that it would comprise of Celtic Frost alumni. It would simply be a means to pay deference, perhaps for one or two concerts, to the deceased co-founder of the band."[22] On 8 December 2022, Fischer's current band, Triptykon, announced they would be performing a Celtic Frost tribute set during the Saturday special guest slot at Bloodstock Open Air Festival in the United Kingdom, following the withdrawal of Anthrax from that slot.[23]
Style and influences
Celtic Frost's sound has undergone significant evolution over the years, making them difficult to categorize. The band's early work has been described as thrash metal[24][25] and death metal.[25] Celtic Frost are also often described as black metal, though some dissent, such as authors Axl Rosenberg and Christopher Krovatin, argue that the band's "music was too tight, and its connection to old-school rock 'n' roll music too readily apparent, to be black metal."[26] In some instances, Celtic Frost is described as avant-garde due to a combination of ambient, classical, and electronica elements in their music.[25] Celtic Frost's later work, particularly Monotheist, has been described as doom metal.[27]
Fischer has stated that two main genres influenced Celtic Frost: heavy metal and new wave. "In Heavy Metal, it's fair to say bands like Black Sabbath, Angel Witch, and Venom influenced us. Martin and I were heavily influenced by the New Wave music of the time too, such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Christian Death, and I think it's a mix of these musical directions that influenced the sound of Celtic Frost."[7]
Ain was also noted for his interest in Joy Division, while Fischer's taste originated in a jazz and prog background. "I loved the '70s prog bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and early Roxy Music."[8] The online music website The Quietus published an interview with Fischer about his favorite albums, comprising a list of 13 notable influences. At the top of this list was the album Gula Matari by Quincy Jones.[28]
Legacy
When Fischer 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."[29]
Dave Grohl and Mark Tremonti have both stated on several occasions that Celtic Frost were an influence. Grohl consequently invited Fischer to participate in the recordings of his 2004 solo album, Probot, resulting in the song "Big Sky". Alternative country singer Ryan Adams has also claimed influence from Celtic Frost.
In 1996, Dwell Records released In Memory of Celtic Frost, a collection of Celtic Frost songs covered by other bands. Notable bands that appeared in this tribute include Enslaved, covering "Procreation of the Wicked"; Opeth, covering "Circle of the Tyrants"; Grave, covering "Mesmerize"; Slaughter, covering "Dethroned Emperor"; Apollyon Sun (featuring Fischer himself), covering "Babylon Fell"; Emperor, covering "Massacra", and Mayhem, covering "Visual Aggression". This hard to find CD is now out of print.
In 2015, Corpse Flower Records released a tribute of their own entitled Morbid Tales! A Tribute to Celtic Frost. It too compiles a number of Celtic Frost covers by other bands, including Child Bite, Acid Witch, Municipal Waste, and Hayward, among others.[45]
In 2018, British deathcore band, Black Tongue covered the song "A Dying God Coming into Human Flesh" on their second album, Nadir which was released on Halloween of 2018.[46]
The hip-hop group "Circle of Tyrants" featuring Necro, Ill Bill, Goretex, and Mr Hyde also took their name from the Celtic Frost song.[47]
^J. Bennett, "Procreation of the Wicked", Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces, Albert Mudrian, ed., Da Capo Press, p. 34.
