Celtic Frost

Celtic Frost (/ˈkɛltɪk frɒst/) was a Swiss metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several varieties of extreme metal and for their avant-garde approach to music more generally.

In June 1984, guitarist and vocalist Thomas Gabriel Fischer and bassist Martin Eric Ain formed Celtic Frost after terminating the band Hellhammer a month prior. Celtic Frost's debut record, Morbid Tales, was then released in November of the same year. This was followed by the full length studio records To Mega Therion (1985) and Into the Pandemonium (1987). These releases are generally considered canonical to the legacy of the band's influence on extreme metal genres. Each of them contains samples of avant-garde composition, though Into the Pandemonium in particular is notable for its idiosyncratic style and experimentation with musical boundaries beyond heavy metal.

Celtic Frost's next album Cold Lake (1988) saw a new lineup, and a stark change of style, which was widely derided due to its commercial and flamboyant tone. After the release of Vanity/Nemesis (1990), the group temporarily disbanded. Celtic Frost then re-formed in 2001 and released the critically acclaimed Monotheist (2006), and finally disbanded permanently following Fischer's departure in 2008.

Music across the band's tenure mixed elements of various extreme metal styles. Their earlier music is frequently classified as thrash metal or black metal with an experimental inclination, while their final album has been described as doom metal. Celtic Frost were inspired by early heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Venom, new wave groups like Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Christian Death and Joy Division, and by hardcore punk bands such as Discharge and GBH.