CELTIC FROST Frontman: 'We Haven't Done Our Greatest Work Yet; It's Still To Come'

Luxi Lahtinen of Metal-Rules.com recently conducted an interview with CELTIC FROST frontman Tom G. Warrior. A few excerpts follow:

Metal-Rules.com: What about this co-headlining tour with Kreator? How's it been turning out for you so far?

Tom: I think it's been turning out just fantastic for us. The audiences have been fantastic. There's been a lot of sold out venues and we wanted to play in Europe for so many years as it's been a while since we had something like this going on here last time; a long, well-organized tour, y'know. On the other hand I think it's as far as you can go with, bringing CELTIC FROST and say we are with another heavy metal band, that's pretty much as far as you can go. CELTIC FROST is a band that has very strong roots in heavy rock, and in heavy metal. CELTIC FROST goes much further than that. And I don't mean that even such a mental way. But I think KREATOR being such a very dedicated heavy/thrash metal band, is probably as far as you can connect CELTIC FROST with a band like that.

Metal-Rules.com: Then let's have a couple of your words about your new album, "Monotheist", which was actually a quite huge comeback album from CELTIC FROST. When you actually started writing the album, did you have a clear vision since from the very beginning how the album would end up sounding after it would have gone through all the mixing and mastering process?

Tom: Yes... yes... yes. We had an EXTREMELY clear vision what it was going to be like, and that's the reason why it took four and half years to record this album. We didn't want to do an album where some record company or some management says: "Here's a cheque for $$$ for the recording..." If you do a comeback, and you have like two months time, it's not for a band like CELTIC FROST. We wanted to do it the right way. First of all, when Martin [Ain, bass] and I sat together, discussing about this album — it was 2000 or something like that, we had exactly the same idea what the album would be like which this tour confirms the time was right for this album. And number 2: We said we are not gonna accept any outside pressure, or any outside influence. We are gonna form our own record company, and we are gonna form our own publishing house to have a full control over this album and everything — and we produce it ourselves. We took as much time as we wanted. We could have never taken four and half years with a record company. We wanted this album to be a very strong CELTIC FROST album, and we wanted the band to be a real band — and not just put together for a cheque. So, we took a long time to reform the band, and to re-grow our friendships. But we had the time; we took the time issue. If it had taken to 10 years to make this album, then it would have taken 10 years. Above everything was the music, and the fact the album had to be the true CELTIC FROST album.

Metal-Rules.com: I think many people have already asked from you already when CELTIC FROST will release their first ever DVD, so when do you think CELTIC FROST will fulfill those demands from your fans' direction? Have you, for example, been shooting any DVD material during this tour?

Tom: We have already shot tons of DVD material. There's also a Swiss film crew that has been following us around for like a year. They are doing a documentary about CELTIC FROST which will eventually come out as a DVD as well. They'll put a context into the whole history of CELTIC FROST. When I'm done with touring, this crew will go and shoot some footage from the old rehearsal room of HELLHAMMER. Then they'll travel to a tiny farm where I grew up and I'll show and introduce them some places there then. There'll be a lot of CELTIC FROST history in there, so I think it's gonna be a really comprehensive documentary about the whole history of CELTIC FROST. But we are very hesitant to issue just a record live DVD because there's so many live DVDs out there in the market nowadays and for me they are all the same. You see concerts; they are good or they are bad, but basically they are all the same. We have very ambitious plans for a concert film and it will cost a lot of money and a lot of logistics to do it the way we would like to do it. It's a project that no other band has attempted to touch thus far. As we speak, we are talking to film crews and potential investors to do this right now because we just cannot finance it completely from our pockets. We hope to strike a deal even if I cannot guarantee it now. But if we are able to strike a deal for making it happen, maybe within a year or so we'll be able to do a concert film unlike any other concert film any heavy metal group has ever done. It'll be typical CELTIC FROST, but on the other hand, it's gonna be something totally unique at the same time as well. It's a very ambitious project, so there's no guarantees yet if it's gonna be made or not. However, we are trying very hard to make our plans reality.

Metal-Rules.com: When do you think CELTIC FROST start writing their next album at earliest, at least in theory? Have you already written some new stuff since the song writing sessions for "Monotheist"?

Tom: Yes, I'm writing music constantly anyway. When I'm home, let's say even for 4-5 days, I'm sitting there and working on new music. I'm working on my solo album and I am also writing music for a potential album of CELTIC FROST. However, I cannot guarantee that there will be another album for a while. I think the band, the management and the record company would like to have a new CELTIC FROST album out within a reasonable time, but to be honest it's not that easy to be in CELTIC FROST and write stuff for the band. As I said many times before CELTIC FROST is made of three people with very explosive and volatile characters — and it is for me personally extremely difficult to be a part of this band. I'll see how I'm gonna feel later this year. I believe if we are doing another album, we can talk "Monotheist"; we can make it another piece of art, something completely unusual. But right now I don't know if I have the strength for that, to be honest. But what I'll certainly do, is a solo album of mine — that's already for sure, and we'll see... Musically I'd be very much into the idea of doing a CELTIC FROST album. I think we haven't done our greatest work yet; it's still to come.

Read the entire interview at Metal-Rules.com.