TOM FISCHER: 'There Will Be No Further Reunions Of CELTIC FROST, At Least Not Involving Me'

Former CELTIC FROST and current TRIPTYKON frontman Tom Gabriel Fischer has issued the following update:

"As I have written and said to Martin [Eric Ain, CELTIC FROST bassist] more than once since he first sent me his draft for a 'Statement in Regard of Celtic Frost' on June 16, 2008, I emphatically disagree with certain aspects of said statement.

"I think it is fundamentally wrong to tease the very fans who have made everything possible for us in the first place with hopes of yet another CELTIC FROST reconciliation 'sometime in the future'. Such hopes are pure fiction. There will be no further reunions of CELTIC FROST, at least not involving me. Particularly so given the occurrences of the past few months. The damage incurred is too significant this time.

"In my opinion, a reunion of CELTIC FROST would have been meaningful only with Reed St. Mark [drums]. But I am now finally getting a chance to work with him again in TRIPTYKON.

"Just how many times should we reassemble and dissolve CELTIC FROST? This would degenerate into a farce. We tried it in 2001, it was truly extraordinary for quite some time, then it ended in destruction, as it did once before. This second coming of CELTIC FROST at least produced a musically intact legacy. We would be well advised to leave it at that and to be humbly grateful for it.

"The disinterred CELTIC FROST were given a chance such as the band had never had before. Moreover, CELTIC FROST were at a pinnacle of artistic collaboration, particularly so between Martin and I who had never before jointly created music, lyrics, concepts, and visuals to such an extent. But we blew it. Behind the scenes, CELTIC FROST were ground to dust, on many levels. There ultimately existed an inability to proceed with the appropriate humility, decorum, and respect within the band, and a frequent incapability to be visionary, self-critical, and truly act as a team, in spite of perpetual and boastful pledges to the contrary. The most appropriate current course of action for all of us would thus be to pursue a serious disassembly and analysis of our personalities and conduct. Alas, I harbor doubt about the occurrence of this.

"CELTIC FROST's moment has come and gone. To me, CELTIC FROST is now like HELLHAMMER: a phenomenon which should rest in peace and be held in honor; our personal history which cannot be repeated but of which I am very proud. Instead of further undermining this legacy, we should treasure it.

"Anything else would be a ridiculous sham."

In addition to Tom Gabriel Fischer and Reed St. Mark, TRIPTYKON's lineup features V. Santura (DARK FORTRESS) and Vanja Slay. The first audio sample, a track called "Cucifixus", can be heard on TRIPTYKON's official MySpace page.

Fischer previously said: "TRIPTYKON will sound as close to CELTIC FROST as is humanly possible, and the album I am working on will feature all the material I envisioned for the successor to [CELTIC FROST's] 'Monotheist'. I desire the album to be a darker, heavier, and slightly more experimental development of 'Monotheist'.

"'Cucifixus' is but one of many compositions to that end. TRIPTYKON is not defined by just this one song, however, just like CELTIC FROST was not defined by 'Totengott' alone."

Fischer announced his departure from CELTIC FROST in April, citing "the irresolvable, severe erosion of the personal basis so urgently required to collaborate within a band so unique, volatile, and ambitious."

It was reported earlier in the year that CELTIC FROST was putting together an album tentatively titled "Monotheist Companion" that will feature unreleased songs from 2006's "Monotheist" sessions and rearrangements of tracks from the album.