Celtic Frost/Triptykon/Hellhammer legend Tom G. Warrior was the latest guest on Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show to talk about the new Celtic Frost box set. dance of deathan upcoming tribute set by Triptykon and why it’s important for artists to listen to what critics have to say.
Released late last year, this box set contains complete recordings of the band from 1984-1987. megatherion, return of the emperor and morbid story EP and to Pandemonium.
In an interview, the visionary reflected on this sentiment, still a little in disbelief that his band’s music remains so important today.
Warrior, who always gives thought-provoking replies, remained humble and outspoken, even teasing about the new album of Tripticon, a band he’s been in since 2014. Melana Chasmata — work in progress.
Read the full interview below.
This box set focuses on Celtic Frost as a pioneer. What surprised you most about the material’s impact?
almost everything. I’m also surprised that this box set exists. I want you to understand that we started out as an underground band in a very small way and 40 years later there are still stories about our little band, there are box sets and people are No one would have thought they would quote us. as an influence. This far exceeds what we ever expected. We basically just played the music that was inside of us and we couldn’t have predicted it. All of us involved are grateful for all of this.
celtic frost, dance of death Opening the box set
Musically, Celtic Frost took a chance mainly because you didn’t know better. How did becoming a more knowledgeable musician ultimately change your creativity?
it changed everything. At least, I wasn’t sure about his first two albums for Celtic Frost. This changed when we made our third album to Pandemonium And then we stumbled upon a label called Noise Records that was hell bent [shelving] This hoped to create a conservative, routine album. We had these huge artistic ambitions and we really had to fight for them. Ultimately, the battle got into the legal realm, and that’s when we really realized that we were doing something obviously out of the ordinary.
Criticism, though debilitating at a young age, can be quite a motivator. How would Celtic Frost be different without that adversity?
Criticism and diversity… have two effects. One effect is that if you’re like Martin, you’re radically more determined. [Eric Ain] And I was. On the other hand, of course, sometimes the critics are right. Everyone involved with Celtic Frost, myself included, was very flawed.
A lot of the criticism directed at me, I have to admit, has a point. So it’s really a mixture of fighting for your point of view and sometimes stepping back and listening to the critics and growing a little bit.
Your upbringing was eventful. Why was a precarious social or parental environment actually the perfect blueprint for music?
It forced me to look at life a little differently than if I had grown up in a perfect family and like all the wealthy families in my school. At the time, we recognized this as a major disadvantage, and it included things like violence. But later on, Martin had a similar experience…he realized that this basically shaped us in a very different way and that it was actually an advantage for our music.
Talk about Triptykon playing a set of Celtic Frost at Hell’s Heroes Festival in Houston. How do you feel about playing those songs now compared to when you were younger?
The idea for this tribute set came from a festival. I was surprised, but at the same time, I was honored to have such a proposal.
This is all our legacy and we have decided that Triptykon’s guitarist (V. Santura) is also a member of Celtic Frost. [live].
Playing this music is usually emotional for me and I’m not just saying it for commercial reasons. You cannot play the music of Celtic Frost or Hellhammer today without thinking of St. Mark.
So going on stage playing this music is basically like having a movie condensing my last 41 years as a musician. It’s a good deal. I’m looking forward to experiencing it, but it’s also kind of scary.
Gary Wolstenholm, Getty Images/Red Ferns
What else can you tell me about knowing what your plans are? What else can you expect besides Celtic Frost music and Triptychon performances in this box set? What else is happening in 2023?
Elephant in the Room is the new Tripticon studio album I wanted to finish during the pandemic. But we were completely uninspired because we were stuck in our rooms, unable to communicate directly with people, unable to perform for an audience. So we basically put it off and are actually working on it now.
In addition, we have also recorded live Triumph of Death concerts, playing Hellhammer music. For the first time, we talked about the possibility of recording a complete concert by Triptykon without a clear plan, but we have live material in our archives.
A few years ago I was able to see the Triptychon for the first time at the Wacken Festival, but it was surreal. It was an incredible performance and setting. What I’m trying to say is that you’re obviously watching a show here in the US, but nothing beats going to Wacken. I hope the day will come when I can see Trypticon again.
Wacken is special to everyone, from the audience to the band. As I understand it, it’s the biggest metal festival in the world, and of course it also gives you a huge platform to present great productions. The atmosphere between the band and the audience is wonderful and magical. It’s “easy” to do a special concert there, but I remember it well. Sunset…it all came together that night.
Trypticon, Live at Wacken (2016)
My favorite Celtic Frost show I had the chance to present here in the US was touring with Type O Negative. I broke that picture from time to time for Throwback Thursday because it was a fond memory and such a great show.
Unfortunately, no one knew that this would be the final Celtic Frost Tour, which made it all the more special. First, after touring 45 countries as a headliner, Type O Negative came and asked me to do 20-25 concerts with them. We were friends so I said yes. We are back in the US and this is Celtic Frost’s final appearance in the US. The combination of Type O Negative and Celtic Frost was perfect. All participating musicians felt the same way.
Thanks to Tom G. Warrior for the interview. Grab your copy of the Celtic Frost ‘Danse Macabre’ box set here and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and twitterFind out where to listen to Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show here.
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