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 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 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" in 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. Celtic Frost were disbanded in 1993.
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.
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.”
Bassist Ain stated that the band “is still alive, albeit in a coma of sorts.” He went on further to say that the remainder of the band is “not going to continue recording or touring,” saying this “would be preposterous” without Fischer. Fischer has himself gone on to form a new band called Triptykon, featuring Celtic Frost touring guitarist V Santura, original Celtic Frost drummer Reed St. Mark, as well as bassist Vanja Slay. Fischer has also said that his new band will sound similar to the direction Celtic Frost took on their 2006 album, "Monotheist".
Nemesis
Celtic Frost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beneath the death of the sun
Suffering at will
Slaves in the cavity of doom
Wastelands without winds
Cries cut through the lies
The heat of the deserts
Will death cleanse me of this nemesis
I taste the blood and all the pain
In darkened depths
A vision of fear becomes as real
Nursing the dead
No love, life is grief
Dare to escape
The claws of sleep of death
No good, no cold
Salvation we are praying for
Days full of fear The silent eyes perceive
Will death cleanse me of this nemesis
I taste the blood and all the pain
The lyrics to Celtic Frost's song "Nemesis" paint a grim picture of a post-apocalyptic world. The first verse describes a desolate landscape, with an emphasis on suffering and slavery. The second verse introduces the idea that death may be a release from this misery, but there is a fear that it may not be an escape. The repeated lyrics of "I taste the blood and all the pain" suggest a despair that cannot easily be extinguished.
One interpretation of the song is that it is a commentary on the futility of rebellion against an all-powerful force. The "cavity of doom" could be seen as a symbol of a society that has been hollowed out by oppression, where resistance is impossible. The repeated references to death could be interpreted as a desire for an end to the suffering, but also a recognition that there may be no way out.
Overall, the lyrics to "Nemesis" are bleak and despairing. However, they are also thought-provoking and provide a glimpse into the darker aspects of human nature and society.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven and shores
The vastness of the world is encompassed by vast oceans and skies.
Beneath the death of the sun
In the desolate state of darkness and death, there is no longer hope or life.
Suffering at will
One is subject to suffering regardless of their own will, and may be trapped in a cycle of pain and despair.
Slaves in the cavity of doom
Bound by fate and the inevitability of death, we are at the mercy of the dark and sinister forces that lurk within our minds.
Wastelands without winds
In the emptiness of life, there is no direction, no motivation, and no hope.
Cries cut through the lies
The harsh reality of life is revealed through tears shed in pain and loss, and it exposes the truth and deception of the world around us.
The heat of the deserts
The unbearable intensity of life's difficulties wears on us, leaving us weak and vulnerable.
Heart closes to my throat
Fear and terror grip the heart and choke us with their overwhelming power.
Will death cleanse me of this nemesis
Hope for release from the pain and suffering of life, through the escape of death.
I taste the blood and all the pain
The horror and pain of life leaves a profound and bitter taste in our mouths.
In darkened depths
Life's difficulties dwell in the deepest, darkest corners of our psyche.
A vision of fear becomes as real
The horrors of the mind become tangible and manifest before our eyes.
Nursing the dead
Caring for and comforting those who have passed away, mourning the loss of life.
No love, life is grief
Without the presence of love and compassion, life becomes a parade of sorrow and heartache.
Dare to escape
The courage to break free from the bonds that tie us to the misery of existence.
The claws of sleep of death
The escape of death, which has the power to heal and free us from the agony of life.
No good, no cold
There is no goodness or salvation to be found in the frigid and crushing reality of life.
Salvation we are praying for
The hope and longing for divine intervention to save us from the horrors of life.
Days full of fear The silent eyes perceive
Life is fraught with fear and danger, even when on the surface it may seem calm and peaceful.
Will death cleanse me of this nemesis
Once again, the hope and longing for release from the relentless pain and suffering of life through the release of death.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARKS RON, GABRIEL FISCHER THOMAS, KURT WIPFLI, MARTIN STRICKER, THOMAS GABRIEL FISCHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FedtotheVultures79
VANITY / NEMESIS
1. (0:00) The Heart Beneath
2. (3:50) Wine in My Hand (Third from the Sun)
3. (7:19) Wings of Solitude
4. (11:55) The Name of My Bride
5. (16:29) This Island Earth
6. (22:22) The Restless Seas
7. (27:03) Phallic Tantrum
8. (30:33) A Kiss or a Whisper
9. (33:38) Vanity
10. (38:05) Nemesis
11. (45:55) Heroes
FedtotheVultures79
VANITY / NEMESIS
1. (0:00) The Heart Beneath
2. (3:50) Wine in My Hand (Third from the Sun)
3. (7:19) Wings of Solitude
4. (11:55) The Name of My Bride
5. (16:29) This Island Earth
6. (22:22) The Restless Seas
7. (27:03) Phallic Tantrum
8. (30:33) A Kiss or a Whisper
9. (33:38) Vanity
10. (38:05) Nemesis
11. (45:55) Heroes
Jesse Dover
This is an amazing album.
From TO MEGA THERION, until now, Tom Warrior has been an ingenious, diverse, innovator.
Jesse Dover
@Arcane Exotica If you ask "how" , you will never understand the explanation.
CELTIC FROST
TRIP SXXXBTCH
@Jay Christopher EEEEWWWWW!
HEYYYYEYEY
Dynamo
you mean from morbid tales
TRIP SXXXBTCH
I agree 100%
Arcane Exotica
@Vic W how?
Federico Romero
Underrated album
Jean Paul Doe
This album is perfect
Skinny Lee
I agree. I’m fairly new to Celtic Frost and so far this record is my favorite. The few other ones I’ve heard are cool, but this one is making a fan out of me. Such a cool sound. To me sounds kinda like if Megadeth wasn’t ever sometimes kinda cheesy and just always hard af. Lol. Kinda has an occasional hardcore feel to it as well.