Former CELTIC FROST Frontman Signs Publishing Deal For 'Only Death Is Real' Book

Former CELTIC FROST and current TRIPTYKON frontman Tom Gabriel Fischer has posted the following message on his blog:

"Work on TRIPTYKON's first album was temporarily and somewhat rudely interrupted early last week when I was forced to check into the hospital late at night to have my appendix removed in emergency surgery the next day. Only a little more than 24 hours after the operation, however, I was back at my home to welcome New York-based publisher and friend Ian Christe of Bazillion Points Books. Cancelling this meeting was not an option I wished to consider, so I persuaded the doctors in charge to release me much earlier than intended.

"So on May 14, 2009, Ian and I at last signed the publishing contract for 'Only Death Is Real', the detailed and lavishly illustrated history of HELLHAMMER and early CELTIC FROST. The book is due to be published this fall, and this is the culmination of what by now amounts to a good four years of investment, research, writing, and design. All of the former main members of HELLHAMMER — Steve Warrior, Bruce Day, Martin Eric Ain, and Stephen Priestly — have been involved in this project, along with the primary HELLHAMMER/SHIZO/CELTIC FROST photographers of 1983/1984 — Martin Kyburz, Andreas Schwarber, and Csaba Kézér.

"It was good to see Ian, and we subsequently pondered further potential joint projects. Then, yesterday evening, I finally met with TRIPTYKON bassist Vanja Slajh again in order to continue songwriting and practice sessions for the album.

"And yet all of above doesn't even cover half of what has been taking place here these past two weeks or so."

TRIPTYKON's lineup also features V. Santura (DARK FORTRESS). The first audio sample, a track called "Crucifixus", can be heard on TRIPTYKON's official MySpace page.

Commented Fischer: "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'.

"'Crucifixus' 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 recently spent time in Norway as an invited guest of the Norwegian black metallers 1349 while they were recording their new album, "Revelations Of The Black Flame". He previously joined 1349 on stage during the band's appearance at the Inferno festival on March 22, 2008 in Oslo for a rendition of the CELTIC FROST classic "The Usurper".