Switzerland

On the Bus with Tom Gabriel Fischer

“Once you have lived this for a while you are free to have different experiences. Each tour brings a new experience. But I’m a somewhat nostalgic guy. This is my seventh U.S. tour or something like that and there are a lot of memories. We played Portland last night and there was a full moon. And there was a full moon the first time I ever played Portland. I remember looking at the moon in 1986 and making some notes about it. Then I find myself on the first Triptykon tour and there’s a full moon. Certain memories stick forever.”

Hellbound’s Justin M. Norton sits down with Triptykon mastermind Tom Gabriel Fischer to discuss his life on the road, the nature of evil, and J.D. Salinger.

Triptykon / 1349 / Yakuza / Sylvus @ the Wreckroom, Toronto ON, October 11 2010

“Visually the band’s performance style is understated, but the smaller venue allowed them to overwhelm the space. Alongside the expected Triptykon material, sounding much like it does on record, the set list was Celtic Frost-heavy, songs like “Procreation (of the Wicked)” snarled out with vicious intensity.”

Laura Wiebe reviews the recent Toronto performance of Triptykon, who were joined by 1349, Yakuza and Sylvus.

Book review – Only Death is Real: An Illustrated History of Hellhammer and Early Celtic Frost 1981–1985

Like many pioneers, Hellhammer took their lumps from everyone, including its own members. They were hobbled by geography and underdeveloped talent, but they built a great mystique around themselves as they toiled to spread their malodorous gospel, only to be sent back to the drawing board after every recording session and demo release. This unlikely but glorious book celebrates their restless existence and enduring influence. It all goes to prove that history—this little slice of history, anyway—is written by the victors.

Rob Hughes reviews the new Hellhammer photo/history book, Only Death Is Real, released recently by Bazillion Points.

Amon Amarth/Eluveitie/Holy Grail @ Odeon, Saskatoon, SK, April 16, 2010

As opposed to the combination of muscle and nuance that Eluveitie excels at live, Amon Amarth is always strictly about brute force. No frills at all, just five guys taking the stage and hammering out an hour and a half’s worth of rousing tunes. Led by the gregarious, downright jolly Johan Hegg, the band hunkered down and regaled the hot, sweaty crowd with a considerably longer set than their first North American tour, which was certainly a nice touch.

Tom Gabriel Fischer: The Hellbound Interview Part Two

Hellbound’s two-part interview with Celtic Frost and Triptykon founder Tom Gabriel Fischer continues. Today, Fischer talks about his signature guitar sound; composing several tracks on the new album; his relationship with Martin Eric Ain and what will be included in Triptykon’s set list.

When you were working on Triptykon’s debut what was

Tom Gabriel Fischer of Triptykon: the Hellbound Interview

`I didn’t just leave Celtic Frost in the heat of the moment. It took an immeasurable amount of personal problems for me to walk out of my own band. I was the main songwriter in Celtic Frost. We worked for so many years to achieve the status that we only achieved at the very end. It was difficult to let that go on every level.`

Justin M. Norton interviews metal mastermind Thomas Gabriel Fischer about his new outfit Triptykon and the incidents surrounding its formation and the break up of Celtic Frost

Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones

Could it be that after three decades as metal musician Fischer has found his voice after playing with so many different styles? Eparistera Daimones is not that different from Monotheist, but that’s not a detriment when following an album that revived your career and reputation. Triptykon’s debut is a worthy piece in Fischer’s enigmatic but always provocative musical career.

Eluveitie – Everything Remains As It Never Was

Everything Remains As It Never Was is the fourth album from Swiss folk metallers Eluveitie. Its title, considering the band’s place in the growing mythology of folk and pagan metal, is suggestively profound. It’s a shame, then, that the music on this new offering just isn’t as enjoyable well as their previous work.