Celtic Frost is one of the most influential bands ever within the occult/black metal scene. The band was originally formed in Zürich, Switzerland, in June 1984 in the ashes of the band Hellhammer by guitarist/vocalist Thomas Gabriel Fischer (Warrior) and two other guys. Fischer split up the old band Hellhammer since he didn´t think they were going to develop any further and this seems to have been a wise choise. The first album from the band, "Morbid Tales", was released in 1984 with the first wave of thrash metal beginning to take form.
Together with such bands as Anthrax, Metallica and Slayer, they were now evolving into one of the most innovative and successful metal bands ever. The next album "To Mega Therion" was the one that really made the band a name for themselves within the extreme metal community and Tom himself described this album as "unbelievably dark". The artwork for that album was done by the well-known Swiss gothic artist H.R. Giger who also created the monster of the Alien movies. The band's drummer Reed used to live together with the ex-wife of Giger and therefore she lend the band jewelry created by him. The lyrics of this album were greatly influenced by the magician Aleister Crowley since Ain was a student of the occult.

In 1987 the band released "Into The Pandemonium" which was described by the metal magazine Kerrang" as "the most avant-garde metal album that will ever be released". This is without a doubt the most experimental album from the guys of Celtic Frost, ranging in style from spoken poetry, rap and even a death march. After the tour for the new album only Tom remained in the band, Steven Priestly returned on drums and the band recruited two new members named Curt Victor Bryant (bass) and Oliver Amberg (guitars).

The new album "Cold Lake" in 1988 was influenced by mainstream American hardrock and Tom regards this one as a complete failure. In 1990 the band got back on track again with their album "Vanity/Nemesis" which was produced by Roli Mosimann. Ain now returned on the bass guitar. This album also contained covers of David Bowie and Roxy Music. In 1992 the band released their retrospective collection album "Parched With Thirst Am I, And Dying" which came to be their last recording. The band had started planning on a double album entitled "Under Apollyon's Sun" but it was never recorded. The band felt that they wouldn´t be able to make it the album they wanted it to be and in the spring of 1993 they split up.

From www.tartareandesire.com