As always, Warrior is self-deprecating and honest to a fault:
At any rate, I, too, think Melana Chasmata might be the most deficient post-Celtic Frost reunion album I have been involved in. I have made uncounted such statements within the band during the extended time we were working on the album, and there exists a long string of very unambiguous mails to this effect, addressed to the band’s management and to our partners at Century Media.
Melana Chasmata was an exceedingly difficult and complex album to make, and that is never a good sign. There were reasons for these difficulties, and they were far from superficial, on more than just one level. In the end, I couldn’t have worked on this album for even one more day, even though I seriously pondered at least a remix, if not far more drastic revisions. But I eventually felt I needed to wrap it up and thus also conclude the entire emotional landscape attached to it.
Frankly, I personally am utterly puzzled by the extremely favourable opinions the album has garnered from most in our audience as well as from reviewers, record company, management, and fellow band members. My own stance is far, far more critical, and I have so far been unable to listen to the album as a whole. The faint light on the horizon, for me, is that I felt the same way about To Mega Therion in late 1985. Only a few years down the road did I begin to digest that album and its production, eventually enabling me to think of it as one of Celtic Frost’s most significant albums.
The difference perhaps is that To Mega Therion encapsulated what many were feeling but did not yet know how to say, where Melana Chasmata encapsulates what many are saying, but not what they are feeling.
Tags: celtic frost, hellhammer, thomas gabriel fischer, tom g. warrior, triptykon
Good call Tom. I very much respect his honesty and perspective on it, but I don’t think this album will be remembered quality-wise as being anything like To Mega Therion. A legend, as ever.
Metal musicians should never, ever rely on metal as a career. The goal should be to make three metal albums, then get a job in shipping.
I dont know I mean it sounds self deprecating but at the same time oddly vain. Puzzled that people are lauding it despite him thinking it is undeserving, like To Mega Therion… is he perhaps just pushing a narrative of himself as the aloof artist who creates unknowable masterpieces? I would not suspect Tom Warrior of this level of self absorption and deceit usually but it has been a really long time and his newer weaker works do have the taint of unnecessary indulgence, like a drug trip or diseased hooker you regret.
Pushing a narrative. See interviews with him going from the 80s to now in chronological order and you’ll see the trickery he uses for “scene credibility”.
Well now that is quite unfortunate. The man still is a great artist though so I will always respect him, but he does seem like he will only continue to squander this respect. Monotheist was a fluke I guess; he pushed back a little, was disappointed and went straight back to the simple and popular instead of the fantastical and profound.
There are no diseased hookers I regret. Buried ’em deep where the dogs can’t find ’em.
Say what you want about T. Gangsta but it’s refreshing to see an artist as proficient as he is, critical of his own work.
I appreciate this new incarnation of Celtic Frost for what it is. To Mega Therion it is not, and it doesn’t tries to be, but he still makes good music when he wants to.
Oh jeez, he’s doing the denouncing thing again. Remember Hellhammer and Apollyon Sun and how he denounced them?
Go to 23:35 and watch TGF throw a guitar at V. Santura on stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f99gcW2p8M#t=23m35s
What happened there?Why doesn’t anyone say anything about that?