Origin:	Switzerland
Genres:
DISBANDED

Last update/review:	April 21, 2008

Celtic Frost

An enormously influential band in the field of black/occult metal, Celtic Frost arose from the ashes of Hellhammer, with founder Tom Warrior realizing that his prior band had reached its musical limits and a direction change was necessary. The essence of Celtic Frost is best captured in the first three albums, with Morbid Tales being the most raw, Pandemonium the most experimental (and BNR favorite), and To Mega Therion being the most consistent and probably the best representation of the band's style. But Warrior, never one to rest on his laurels, made another style change, one that would prove costly. 1988's Cold Lake was almost universally regarded as a huge mistake, reviled by fans, the curious mixture of the early brutality and glam metal (!) proved to be disastrously unpopular, as the band's popularity plummeted and wouldn't fully rise again for many years. Two years later, the band attempted to rectify that mistake with Vanity/Nemesis, and it partially succeeded, as it is an underrated album that managed to capture much of the early style while still pressing forward. Finally in 1992 came the Parched ... album, a collection of greatest hits, unreleased tracks, some re-recorded versions of previous tracks (some Cold Lake songs sounded much better the second time around) and two new tracks that was presumed to be a preview for a new album, but it was not to be, as Tom formally folded Celtic Frost to form another new band, Apollyon Sun. Despite the rollercoaster waves of popularity, Celtic Frost remains one of the most unique and influential bands of the mid-eighties.

Apollyon Sun ran its course, but speculation and rumors of a CF reunion continued to fly over the years, and around 2003 the rumors finally came through. Original members Tom Warrior and Martin Ain, originally along with Tom's friend and fellow guitarist Erol Unala, started work on what is surely one of the most anticipated comeback albums in many years. The album, Monotheist, was finally completed and released in May 2006, a fitting return to form for the band.

Just when things were continuing to surge for the band, Tom walked away from the project, effectively closing the books on Celtic Frost (he has only said he left the group, but as he is the main force behind the band, it seems inconceivable that a new Celtic Frost could exist without him). Tom has vowed to continue making music in the new CF vein, and is doing so with his new band, Triptykon.