From the ashes of Hellhammer, Celtic Frost was risen. Tom G. Warrior and Martin Eric Ain were the leading force that inspired the extreme metal scene in the years to come.
"Morbid Tales" (1984), "Emperor's Return" (1985) and "To Mega Therion" (1985) are the foundations of extreme metal, and "Into The Pandemonium (1987) is a genre-breaking record that introduced us the term "avant-garde" in metal music. An experimental dark album with undeniable influence. This influence was both musical, artistic and visual.
Martin Eric Ain was separated from Celtic Frost during the recordings of "To Mega Therion" but returned very quickly and even if Tom Warrior was the prime composer, Martin was the link that completed the gaze into the darkness with his contributions in lyrics, music and image.
"Cold Lake" (1988) was an abomination, Martin Eric Ain wasn't there and Tom G. Warrior doesn't want to listen to this record again. "Vanity / Nemesis" (1990) marks the return of Martin Ain and after few years, there was silence. But during this silence, the impact of Celtic Frost in metal music was growing over and over...
While Tom G. Warrior is death-obsessed in general, Martin Eric Ain was deep in the art of darkness and while they seemed to share a common morbid vision behind Celtic Frost, they probably had a different approach and social sense. Celtic Frost was Tom Warrior's life's work and there is no doubt about it. But Martin was the nocturnal factor that added another (and yet so similar) dark artistic element to the band.
In late 2001, Tom Warrior and Martin Ain began to write music together again, along with Erol Unala on guitar and, from late 2002, drummer Franco Sesa joined them. The album was completed in the end of 2005, the title is "Monotheist" and Celtic Frost dominate the metal press and festivals for almost two years.
Few months prior to the release of "Monotheist" in 2006, Martin Eric Ain visited the offices of the label and unfurled full-color printouts of the complete layout, including final artwork for everything (both CD and vinyl) and provided detailed explanations about all symbolism, meaning and importance of what he presented. At this time and after the years of Noise Records and the problems and artistic limitations they had, now they knew exactly what they wanted and everything was done under their control.
But what happened after "Monotheist"? According to Tom Warrior, Martin was a different person now. As he states in an interview at Iron Fist magazine (issue 10) "We just try not to meet. Martin lives to a different planet to the rest of us. He runs an empire of clubs and bars in Zurich, and we're not talking about metal clubs - he runs the hipster clubs. Martin is a millionaire and that's his world now". When they reformed Celtic Frost, Martin had already the basis of his empire and he admired Tom for sticking with the music, so he wanted to be a part of this but after a hundred plus shows he was sick and tired of touring when he already had this kind of life back in Zurich. But besides this glamorous life, Martin was always in the art of darkness. "I was at an opening of an exhibition in Zurich and I knew he [Martin] was going to be there and I went right up to him and I offered my hand, we hugged, we talked, we had a really good time but we're no longer the same as we were in 1983", Tom states.
"Monotheist" is the best metal reunion album. In my book it is also the best Celtic Frost album but I know that you won't agree with me.
From Hellhammer to Celtic Frost, Martin Eric Ain was an iconic important part of extreme dark music.
Martin Eric Ain (born Martin Stricker, on July 18th of 1967) died on October 21st of 2017 by heart attack.
"I am deeply affected by his passing. Our relationship was very complex and definitely not free of conflicts, but Martin's life and mine were very closely intertwined, since we first met in 1982." - Tom Gabriel Fischer (October 22, 2017)
Only Death Is Real.
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