TOM GABRIEL FISCHER Working On Next TRIPTYKON Album, 'Equally Dark And Heavy' New Project

TRIPTYKON — the group formed by former HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom Gabriel Warrior) — is working on material for its sophomore full-length CD, tentatively due in early 2014.

In a series of online messages, Fischer states: "I am writing much music for the new album, however. As of right now, it is very dark and very varied.

"The title of the album, the artwork, and the general design have all been chosen. I do hope to see it finished approximately by the end of the year."

Regarding the approach to his guitar playing on the new TRIPTYKON material, Fischer said: "My guitar tone/sound will likely continue to evolve, albeit within the limits of a certain direction.

"My current guitar tone is the result of a continuous effort to achieve a tone which represents me, i.e., my emotional landscape, perfectly. I have never been able to identify more with my guitar tone than in recent years (on 'Monotheist' and, particularly, 'Eparistera Daimones' and the associated tours). I have spent some three decades pursuing this a tone/sound, and I feel etremely comfortable with it now, and I see little impetus to change it at this time. Above all, it yields the heaviness and darkness I seek. To me, this type of a continuous mutation within a certain frame of mind can best be explained when one looks at the three consecutive versions of the song 'Triumph Of Death'… The simple reason is that I am not 'youthful' anymore at this point in my life, and it is logical that my music and approach is thus different. I will turn 50 this year, and it would be utterly naive to expect that my sound is exactly the same 31 years after I started HELLHAMMER as a teenager. If it was, it would be an act, i.e., a lie… My 'aggression' is [still] there. It has changed, though. It is of a very different kind nowadays. If anything, it is far more profound."

In other news, Fischer has revealed that he is also working on "another musical project" which he promises is "equally dark and heavy on various levels."

He added: "There are only a handful of people who know of this project at this time.

"The new TRIPTYKON album is my priority. It is very likely that any other project will be completed only after it is finished."

"Shatter", the latest five-track EP from TRIPTYKON, sold around 500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 90 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Shatter" was released on October 25, 2010 (Europe) and October 26, 2010 (North America).

At a playing time of approximately 28 minutes, "Shatter" consists almost entirely of previously unreleased music.

TRIPTYKON consists of V. Santura (guitar, vocals),Norman Lonhard (drums, percussion),Vanja Slajh (bass),and Tom Gabriel Fischer (voice, guitars). The group has unambiguously stated that it pursues the continuation and further development of the path Warrior began in HELLHAMMER and CELTIC FROST.