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".
Tristesses De La Lune
Celtic Frost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ainsi qu'une beauté sur de nombreux coussins
Qui d'une main discrète et légère caresse
Avant de s'endormir le contour de ses seins
Sur le dos satine, des molles avalanches
Mourante elle se livre aux longues pâmoisons
Et promené ses yeux sur les visions blanches
Qui montent dans l'azur comme des floraisons
Elle laisse filer une larme furtive
Un poète pieu ennemi do sommeil
Dans le creux de sa main prend cette larme pale
Aux reflets urizes comme un fragment d'opale
Et l'amener de son corps loin des yeux do Soleil
The lyrics of Celtic Frost's Tristesses de la Lune (Sadness of the Moon) evoke dreamy and poetic imagery, describing the moon as a beautiful woman who dreams lazily on many cushions, caressing the curves of her body before falling asleep. She surrenders to a soft death, watching as white visions rise in the blue sky like blooming flowers. The moon sheds a tear now and then, which a pious poet takes in the palm of his hand, away from the eyes of the sun. The tear is described as having opalescent reflections, as if it contains the essence of the moon's sadness.
The lyrics seem to be inspired by the French poet Charles Baudelaire's poem "Tristesses de la Lune", which was part of his collection "Les Fleurs du Mal" (The Flowers of Evil). The poem is a sensuous and melancholic meditation on the moon's beauty and its perceived unhappiness. The music of Celtic Frost adds to the mood of the lyrics, with slow and somber melodies that match the dreamy and introspective tone.
Overall, the lyrics of Tristesses de la Lune are a poignant tribute to the moon's melancholic allure, expressed through poetic and evocative language.
Line by Line Meaning
Ce soir la Lune rêve avec plus de paresse
Tonight, the Moon dreams lazily, without any rush or urgency.
Ainsi qu'une beauté sur de nombreux coussins
The Moon is lying comfortably, like a beautiful woman on many pillows.
Qui d'une main discrète et légère caresse
The Moon strokes herself lightly and discreetly with the tip of her hand, before falling asleep.
Avant de s'endormir le contour de ses seins
Before falling asleep, the Moon fondles the curves of her own breasts.
Sur le dos satine, des molles avalanches
The soft and silky surface of the Moon's back resembles the flow of gentle avalanches.
Mourante elle se livre aux longues pâmoisons
Dying to the world, the Moon surrenders to her long swoons and faintings.
Et promené ses yeux sur les visions blanches
The Moon wanders her eyes over the white visions that rise into the blue sky like flowers.
Qui montent dans l'azur comme des floraisons
These visions emerge into the blue sky like blossoming flowers.
Quand parfois sur ce globe en sa longueur oisive
Sometimes, while idly wandering over the globe,
Elle laisse filer une larme furtive
The Moon allows a fleeting tear to slip from her eyes.
Un poète pieu ennemi do sommeil
A pious poet, who is the enemy of sleep,
Dans le creux de sa main prend cette larme pale
Grasping that pale tear within the palm of his hand,
Aux reflets urizes comme un fragment d'opale
He notices how it gleams like a fragment of opal.
Et l'amener de son corps loin des yeux do Soleil
He carries the Moon's tear away from the Sun's sight.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: STRICKER MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ivanbrzovic
A poem from Flowers of evil of Charles Baudelaire
@skottcoucill8343
Celtic Frost: One of the most incredible bands on earth.
@rictusmetallicus
I heard Tristesses once on the radio back in the eighties. I could never again forget about that song, it still haunts me to this day. Listening to it still gives me the chills after all those years.
@annodomini1991
One of my favourites from "Into The Pandemonium".
@OrkoSukisuki
Into the Pandemonium is totally unique album.
@alainespinosa4964
GODS!!!
@PrimitiveInTheExtreme
🤘🔥🤘