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Celtic Frost are 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.

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 important 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.

For some Monotheist tracks:
http://www.myspace.com/celticfrost

For their old shit:
http://www.myspace.com/visualaggrssionc ... ributepage

Personal favourites (albums): To Mega Therion, Morbid Tales, Emperor's Return.

Ta plasmata gamun j ressun alla potte en imun mes tin Celtic Frost fasi, still respect;p

Very good band, i have "Morbid tales" and "Monotheist" in my cd collection...
By the way, what are your views on their recent (and propably last) album "Monotheist" ? I've heard alot of bad critisism about it from alot of people, but personally i think its great! Sure its different to all the other work but i really enjoyed it

I prefer older material by Celtic Frost to be honest. Im not sayin that new songs are bad, but I find older work more "Death-ish"
Oson afora to Monotheist, a good album, and yes quite different from the others, ala ntaxi, opws tu aresi tu kathena.

Whenever I listen to Monotheist, I don't consider it being one of Celtic Frost's albums.
If I think of Celtic Frost, 'To Mega Therion' or 'Morbid Tales' comes to mind, not Monotheist. Overall it's a good album, just not Celtic Frost.

Atrocious wrote:Monotheist ena polla gamato album. ine p ta albums p katafernun ke pernun me allu hano tin ais8isi tis pragmatikotitas. kati san Mastura heh!

opos akrivos pa8enw egw aman akuw nuclear nation.fuck yeah re,ti pellares akuis re gianni je kulli,valte kapio album apo ti terastia diskogtafia tu maniac-mozart na diti ti simeni MUSIKI

MikE wrote:I've heard alot of bad critisism about it from alot of people, but personally i think its great! Sure its different to all the other work but i really enjoyed it

+1 ;p

Mark wrote:thats coze i suck

I prefer older material by Celtic Frost to be honest. Im not sayin that new songs are bad, but I find older work more "Death-ish"
Oson afora to Monotheist, a good album, and yes quite different from the others, ala ntaxi, opws tu aresi tu kathena.

Ahahaha

Infiltrator wrote:Whenever I listen to Monotheist, I don't consider it being one of Celtic Frost's albums.
If I think of Celtic Frost, 'To Mega Therion' or 'Morbid Tales' comes to mind, not Monotheist. Overall it's a good album, just not Celtic Frost.

Hm, I don't think that anyone should think of Celtic Frost as having a specific sound. Even isnce they were Hellhammer they constantly experimented, they don't have a specific sound that defines them (don't forget the abysmal "Cold Lake"). Speaking of Celtic Frost's work as "one" is like speaking of Bathory's work as one specific sound.

Mater Tenebrarum wrote:

Infiltrator wrote:Whenever I listen to Monotheist, I don't consider it being one of Celtic Frost's albums.
If I think of Celtic Frost, 'To Mega Therion' or 'Morbid Tales' comes to mind, not Monotheist. Overall it's a good album, just not Celtic Frost.

Hm, I don't think that anyone should think of Celtic Frost as having a specific sound. Even isnce they were Hellhammer they constantly experimented, they don't have a specific sound that defines them (don't forget the abysmal "Cold Lake"). Speaking of Celtic Frost's work as "one" is like speaking of Bathory's work as one specific sound.

Even so, their older albums had some similarities between them.
Monotheist can't really relate to any of them. It's a -very- different sound, not only speaking music-wise.