Former CELTIC FROST Frontman THOMAS GABRIEL FISCHER Launches 'Dark,' 'Groovy' And 'Psychedelic' New Project

Thomas Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom G. Warrior; CELTIC FROST, TRIPTYKON, HELLHAMMER) has announced the formation of a new "dark music" project. The new band, whose name has not yet been revealed, is tentatively planning to release its debut album later this year.

Speaking to Metal Wani, Fischer stated about how the new group came together: "I used to be in a project called NIRYTH, but me and the drummer, for the same reason that we had to dismiss one person from TRIUMPH OF DEATH — and those are very, very important reasons, crucial reasons, that there was no way around it — and for the same reasons me and the drummer, Pidi Leuenberger, left NIRYTH. But, of course, we have worked for one and a half years on that material. We have recorded it, and we recorded with my own label — we financed that — so I own that material, and it's very strong material, I believe; it's some of the best material I've ever written. Actually, today we had a major conference call with Nuclear Blast, and we're gonna change the material slightly and add three new songs and then release it as an album later this year. I feel very strong about this."

Fischer went on to say that he didn't want to keep the NIRYTH moniker for the new project. "It's gonna be a different name," he said. "We left NIRYTH, and we left it to that person for what it's worth. We wanted to have a clean start; we didn't wanna have any bad feelings attached to it. So we formed a new band, and all the details will be made public very soon."

Regarding the new project's recording plans, Fischer said: "We would have done this already and we would have been in the studio already if there hadn't been a lockdown. We were supposed to have a major recording session in Germany one and a half months ago, and also a photo session. So everything had to be canceled, because everything is international and there was no traveling. So that's the impact of COVID-19. But we have rescheduled everything, so let's see."

As for the new project's musical direction, Fischer said: "It's very dark music, but it's not heavy metal. It's not doom metal or something like that. It's difficult to describe. It is heavy at times, it's very groovy, it's very psychedelic. Sometimes it's floating almost, like PINK FLOYD. But it is very dark, very melodic, very mesmerizing and hypnotic."

Earlier in the month, TRIPTYKON released "Requiem (Live At Roadburn 2019)" via Prowling Death Records/Century Media Records. The set marks the bombastic conclusion of a project over 30 years in the making: The legendary CELTIC FROST/TRIPTYKON "Requiem" performed for the first time in its entirety and with full classical orchestration by the Dutch Metropole Orkest.