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| Anyone who knows me knows how much I worship CELTIC FROST (circa 1984 - 1987 only, nothing after "Into The Pandemonium"). Even though the Frosties already have an official fan site, I've decided to pay tribute to them in my own special way... |
| THUS, The Church of CELTIC FROST. Yee-YEAH-Yahs, mah friends! Ah shall be yer guide to awesome powah that wuz CELTIC FROST (by the way, even though Webster's Dictionary claims that 'Celtic' can be pronounced "Kell-Tic" or "Sell-Tic", I tend to say "Kell-tic")...... Everything to do with 'Frost can be read in the book about them written by CF's own Tom G.Warrior (real name Thomas Gabriel Fischer), "Are You Morbid? Into The Pandemonium of Celtic Frost" put out by Sanctuary Publishing. For those unwilling to spend the hours needed to read it, here's a brief history...... |
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| In 1983 a Swiss teenage metal fan named Tom Fischer was so inspired by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, he decided to pick up a guitar and form his own metal band. Seeking to out-do the already over-the-top British band, VENOM, Tom assembled two other musicians to form the nucleus of HELLHAMMER. These were Martin Ain (bass) and Stephen Priestly (drums). After some time spent writing their material, the demos "Death Fiend" and "Triumph of Death" were recorded that summer. It was after their "Satanic Rites" demo and the submission of their songs, "Messiah" and "Revelations of Doom" to the underground sampler compilation, "Death Metal" in 1984 that HELLHAMMER pricked up the ears of Noise Records in Germany. This lead to the band travelling to Berlin to record the legendary mini-album, "Apocalyptic Raids" in March of '84, with Bruce Day filling in on drums at the last minute, as Stephen was unable to go to Berlin...... |
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| So it was that Tom ('Satanic Slaughter'), Martin ('Slayed Necros') and Bruce ('Denial Fiend') created metal history. The critics did sayeth "Total crap." but the fans did sayeth, "Yee-Yeah-Yahs" and rejoiced with many a beer. Unfortunately, Tom was so dissatisfied with the state of HELLHAMMER at the time, what with unstable line-ups, etc. that he and Martin decided to dissolve HH a mere three weeks after the recording session. The very next day, CELTIC FROST was born. Shortly after, still dealing with Noise Records, CF recorded the immortal mini-album, "Morbid Tales" with a newly recruited American drummer, Reed St.Mark. Together, he, Martin and Tom went on to become what many-a-fan considers the quintessential 'Frost line-up and recorded the legendary "To Mega Therion"Lp as well as "The Emperor's Return"Ep , "Tragic Serenades"Ep and the weird, experimental "Into The Pandemonium" in 1987...... |
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| It was after the "Into The Pandemonium" tour that Tom had married an American girl he met while on the road, Michelle Villanueva. So it was that Reed and Martin did sayeth, "Later dude!" and jumped ship. Tom and Michelle enjoy a brief honeymoon and return to Switzerland where Tom begins to assemble a new line-up. Later on, he re-hires the old HH drummer, Stephen Priestly, a new guitarist named Oliver Amberg and some guy who's name I can't remember 'cuz in all honesty, I don't give a $#%*..And the gods of metal did sayeth, "Behold the new CELTIC FROST line-up!" and the fans did shudder in dread fear...... |
| l-r: Reed, Tom and Dominic Steiner |
| An early version of HELLHAMMER |
| Tom G.Warrior |
| Martin Ain |
| The Classic Frost line-up!!! |
| I decided to spare you any pictures of the Frost line-up from that era out of not wanting anyone to die laughing or from inhalation of excessive hair-spray. The hardcore fans know I'm referring to their ultra-crappy, "Cold Lake" album. I've read MANY an interview with Tom saying that he thinks that album is garbage, but only because he thought the production was lacking and Oliver Amberg's playing was sloppy. RIII-IIGHT! I tend to think it had more to do with Tom trying to unsuccessfully go from a creepy-death-metal-zombie (which absolutely suited him) to that of a poodle-haired L.A. Glam-Rocker (which DEFINITELY DID NOT!!!). Dude, you just ain't pretty enough! |
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| 1989 saw CF at a very low point in their career and after a dismal tour in support of "Cold Lake", Tom promptly fired Amberg, recruited another mess of musicians whose names I can't remember (let's face it--at this point I'd pretty much turned my back on 'em. I was fully into the new Death Metal scene in the early '90's). In 1990, after a brief re-joining of Martin on bass, 'Frost put out "Vanity/Nemesis". Because they'd lost so much of their original fanbase, whether due to a lack of interest because of "Cold Lake" or to the rising interest in Grunge and Death metal, sales were poor. And 'Lo, the mighty ones had fallen and proceeded to suck biblical portions of sewage. "Alas, woe is me!" cried many a fan. And so it was that in 1993, after releasing a collection of b-sides and rare, unreleased tunes called "Parched With Thirst Am I ...And Dying", CELTIC FROST called it a day. Nearly 20 years later, CF remains one of the most influential bands in Heavy Metal today...... |
| Martin rehearsing in '86...UUGH!!! |
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| SOME INTERESTING FACTOIDS ABOUT CELTIC FROST: |
| 1) CELTIC FROST's Name: A great many things remained a mystery to me about CF which I suppose created something of a mystique about them for me. Imagine my horror and disillusionment when I finally learned just how they came up with it---For years I thought the name had some deep, dark, poetic, mystical meaning behind it. NOPE! It turns out the 'Frost' part was taken from CIRITH UNGOL's "Frost And Fire" album and 'Celtic' was placed in front of it because "It sounded cool.". Hmmm. OK. Hmmm...... |
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| 2) While entertaining a rather obnoxious female journalist in their hotel room, Tom decided to actually shit on a plate and present it to her to eat for breakfast. She must've gotten the message as she got up and left without saying a word while Tom and Martin laughed their asses off. Maybe Tom needed to eat more fibre...? |
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| 3) Popular Ladies' man, Reed St.Mark had many a female fan and to prove it, he had a rather long string of their collected shoes they'd thrown to him draped across his drum-kit. At some point during a tour, someone stole the shoes but it didn't take him long to assemble yet another string with the shoes he'd amassed.Whatta guy! |
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| 4) Because Martin really liked to take his sweet time at rest stops, Tom, Reed and the road crew decided to teach him a lesson by playing a little joke and driving off without him, leaving him stranded at a gas station. When they came back for him a little while later, they found him sitting exactly where they'd left him, scowling. When he got back on the bus, he spoke to noone for the rest of the day...... |
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| 5) So popular were the Frosties in '85/'86 that at one point a rather prominent and rather hefty female journalist actually locked Tom in a hotel room with her and refused to let him out until he agreed to marry her. After an hour or two, he managed to talk his way out, but for the rest of her time with 'Frost (she was covering a tour they were on), the dejected journalist was very pissy and disagreeable. Oh the price of fame...! |
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| 6) Not that anyone but me would even give a $#%*, but drummer Reed St.Mark and I share the same birthday, December 7th. SUPER-&%#$'n-COOOOL! |
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| 7) When Tom contacted air-brush master H.R.Giger for permission to use the painting', "Satan 1" for the cover of "To Mega Therion", he submitted both lyrics and idea outlines to him first. After looking them over, H.R.G. was so impressed by them he let CF use the cover art for free! |
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| 8) It turns out that "Cold Lake" is actually a place located near an army base in Northern Alberta, Canada. SWEET! The Frosties dug Canada! I'm ever so proud to be a Canajun...'Oooo Canada, something-something, blah-blah-blaaaaaaah...... |
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| 9) When Oliver Amberg was fired from CF, the jilted guitarist swiped some stationary from a lawyer's office and proceeded to concoct a bogus letter from said lawyer threatening legal action against Tom and the boys. But when Tom contacted the lawyer, he didn't know what he was talking about. There was no case against him. Needless to say, when Tom confronted Amberg about it, he immediately backed off. What a *#$%*'n jerk!!! |
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| 10) While doing a sound-check for the legendary World War 3 festival in Montreal, Quebec, Martin jumped over some guard-railing and accidentally clipped Tom in the jaw so bad he had to be taken to a hospital. After getting checked out, he ended up playing the festival but with a very sore jaw and one NASTY headache...... |
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| Back To Home |
| Back To Music |
| To The Official Celtic Frost Fan Site |
| To The Photo Gallery |
| There you have it! My own little dedication to one of my favourite bands in the #@$%'n UNIVERSE. Despite all the ragging Tom Warrior did and still does about HELLHAMMER, he's got to realize that HH was a phase in his musical development, and a necessary one to have taken or there probably would've been no CELTIC FROST. I know he gets annoyed by people asking him why he changed. Usually he responds with, "If you never change throughout your lifetime, you're a pretty sorry creature.". To some degree, I can relate to that. I mean, I've certainly changed quite a bit since the days when I first heard those ominous tones of "Innocence and Wrath", but essentially some things I still hold dear. My fascination with the occult and dark mysticism, with horror and all things morbid, my love of dark, aggressive music. Since their entrance into my life, CF is a band that's coloured my thinking and way of life. Scoff if you will at me, but a die-hard fan knows what I'm talking about. If you're one, then you absolutely know it for yourself. 'FROST was one rare jewel in a sea of mediocre metal cheese. We may never see the likes of a band like that again. At least we have their music to remind us of a time that was in Metal History. They were truly a band ahead of their time way back in the day. One I'll NEVER forget. CHEERS! UUUUUUUUUUGH........!!!!!!!!! HEY-HEY!!!!!!! |
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| Snake of VOIVOD w/Tom & Martin |
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| **** NEWS FLASH*** According to the Official Celtic Frost Fan Site ( H2CF), CELTIC FROST has re-united and are currently preparing to release a brand spankin' new CD! SWEET! For further info, click the link to the H2CF Site. Wooooooo-Hoooooo!!!!! |