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".
Vanity
Celtic Frost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stranded by the hold of fear
Agony takes a final role
Sipping the dew of tears
Thorns and rites idols of false
Tearing apart the skin of lust
Forever still but never born
Vanity, silent choir spreading lies
Vanity, fallen shrine of muted sighs
Surrender, dance and cry
Their Tormented eyes perceive
Grasps of fright, lusters crawl
Tarnished grounds of faded beliefs
The lyrics of Celtic Frost's song Vanity delve into the themes of fear, agony, and vanity. The opening lines of "Deep within my bleeding heart, stranded by the hold of fear" immediately set a dark tone, conveying a sense of emotional pain and struggle. The idea of agony taking a final role as the singer sips the dew of tears further emphasizes the notion of surrender and hopelessness.
The middle lines introduce the imagery of thorns and idols, symbolizing both physical and emotional pain. The tearing apart of the skin of lust further emphasizes the destructive nature of vanity and desire. The final lines of the first stanza - "forever still but never born" - provide an interesting contrast, suggesting a sense of stagnation or lack of progress.
In the second stanza, the lyrics shift to a focus on vanity as the root cause of inner turmoil. The "silent choir spreading lies" could refer to the inner voice that whispers insecurities and doubts, leading to a fall from grace. The chorus repeats the word "vanity" twice, emphasizing its destructive power. The final two lines of the song describe a world of "grasps of fright and tarnished grounds of faded beliefs", implying a loss of faith in oneself and the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep within my bleeding heart
My heart is full of pain and sorrow.
Stranded by the hold of fear
I am held captive by my own fears and cannot escape.
Agony takes a final role
Pain has become a dominant force in my life.
Sipping the dew of tears
I am drinking in my own tears, consumed by my sadness.
Thorns and rites idols of false
I have been led astray by false idols and beliefs that only bring me pain.
Tearing apart the skin of lust
My desires and passions have become destructive, hurting me and others around me.
Forever still but never born
I feel stuck and stagnant, unable to move forward in life.
Broken by the final quest
I have been defeated by my last attempt or journey, leaving me broken.
Vanity, silent choir spreading lies
The pursuit of beauty and outward appearance only leads to deception and falsehood.
Vanity, fallen shrine of muted sighs
The once-revered symbol of beauty and perfection has now lost its value and meaning, leaving only sorrowful memories.
Surrender, dance and cry
I have given up and am now expressing my emotions through dance and tears.
Their Tormented eyes perceive
I can see the pain and torment in the eyes of those around me.
Grasps of fright, lusters crawl
My fears and desires are suffocating me and dragging me down.
Tarnished grounds of faded beliefs
My once-strong beliefs and values have lost their meaning and are now tarnished and faded.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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