Celtic Frost is a European heavy metal band. The frontman, Thomas Gabriel Fischer, was of Swiss origin, and changed his name to Tom Warrior early in his career. With Bruce Day and Steve Warrior, he formed Hellhammer in 1982 (1982 in music). The band attracted a small local fanbase, and they soon signed to Noise Records in Germany.
By 1984, Hellhammer had morphed into a more Gothic, classical group called Celtic Frost. Their debut LP, Morbid Tales was a hit in the European metal scene, and the band set out on its first tour, through Germany and Austria. Their second album was To Mega Therion, with cover artwork by H.R. Giger. To Mega Therion was just as successful as their first. However, their most influential recording is 1987 Into the Pandemonium (1987 in music). The album was one of the pivotal LPs of heavy metal in Europe, and innovated a new, more classical sound in death metal. During a subsequent American tour, financial trouble and personal tension between the bandmembers led to a complete dissolution. Six months later, Warrior decided to reform the band with Stephen Priestly, Oliver Amberg and Curt Victor Bryant. Despite his willingness, Warrior did not take much interest in the album and producer Tony Platt and Amberg took control of the recording of Cold Lake. They mutated the death metal sound into radio-friendly thrash/glam rock sound. The album was an utter failure in both mainstream and heavy metal markets, and the band was ridiculed by its former fans as a sell-out.
Warrior fired Amberg and convinced Ron Marks to return for the release of Vanity/Nemesis in 1990 (1990 in music). Though it was critically successful, Celtic Frost's reputation had not recovered yet. Marks soon left again, but Martin Eric Ain returned soon after to replace him. Their last album was a collection called Parched With Thirst Am I and Dying (1992 in music).
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