From the day it was announced that acclaimed guitarist/vocalist Tom Gabriel Warrior was leaving Swiss black metal innovators Celtic Frost following their fucking awesome reunion album Monotheist, it was clear that whatever he did next was going to be a tricky proposition. After all, this isn’t the first time Celtic Frost broke up, and considering it took them about half a decade to get Monotheist together, was it really such a surprise to see the band come apart? The upside was that when Triptykon, Warrior’s new band, was revealed, he more or less said his plan was to make it sound like Celtic Frost, and to that end, he was taking the parts he was going to use for songs on the next Celtic Frost record and turn it into Triptykon’s first album, Eparistera Daimones.

Century Media, to whom Monotheist was also licensed for release back in 2006 (time does fly), sent over some mp3s of Eparistera Daimones for review, but I knew that, as with Monotheist, if I wanted to really get a sense of what this album was about, I needed the real deal. So I bought it. Whether or not that makes me morally superior to anyone who by now has downloaded this blackened metallic beast is a debate for another time (but we all know it does); the point is that, with the expository liner notes, with H.R. Giger’s explicit cover art — covered in the CD packaging by a strategically placed promo sticker – with the production info, with the lyrics, I feel like it’s possible to get a more fully realized notion of what Eparistera Daimones is trying to accomplish. In a word, that is “iconoclasm.”

How else to explain the vicious turns, unexpected twists and occasionally unleashed, unhinged aggression of Triptykon’s debut? Clearly this is an album that, while knowing of the expectations pinned on it and the revitalized reputation it’s going to be responsible for upholding, doesn’t give a shit and is going to do what it’s going to do. Joining Warrior on the release are drummer Norman Lonhard, bassist Vanja Slajh, numerous guests, and former Celtic Frost live guitarist V. Santura, whose modern black metal vocals contrast with Warrior’s own to great effect on early cuts “Goetia,” “Abyess Within My Soul” and blistering centerpiece “A Thousand Lies.” If there’s one single factor that separates Triptykon from Celtic Frost (the absence of Martin Eric Ain being obvious to the point of not really needing to be said), it’s Santura’s contributions. Plus, as a co-producer with Warrior, his affect on the overall sound of Eparistera Daimones is even broader, and judging from the outcome, it’s much to the album’s benefit.

As previously alluded, much of Eparistera Daimones’ material draws directly from Celtic Frost. “Myopic Empire” might read lyrically like Warrior discussing the dissolution of his creative partnership with Ain late this past decade, but actually, the song is originally from 1993 — the last time Frost broke up. “Abyss Within My Soul” probably would have been a Celtic Frost song, the ambient near-love song “My Pain” was a rejected Monotheist demo and sprawling, glorious 22-minute closer “The Prolonging” was begun while they were still together and finished for Triptykon. The connections are there in terms of both timing and sonics, but there are also moves made — the extended grand piano sequence in “Myopic Empire,” or the whole of “My Pain,” for example — that reach beyond the bounds of what Celtic Frost as an entity accomplished.

Of course, with the stunning opening duo, the doomed atmosphere of the closer, the absolute landmark of its midsection and surprises like the instrumental mood piece “Shrine” and the sudden tempo switch near the end of “Descendant,” there can be little doubt Eparistera Daimones will be one of 2010’s metallic high points. Warrior has transcended his past while acknowledging it, moved beyond Celtic Frost in a way that fans longing for a sequel to Monotheist will be able to appreciate while also introducing previously unseen sides of his creativity that make the album a standout in an already legendary discography. Whatever the future holds for Triptykon, Celtic Frost and Warrior, Eparistera Daimones is proof that the guitarist/vocalist is one of underground metal’s most revered and respected figures for good reason. If this is the beginning of a new legacy, sign me up.

Triptykon on MySpace

Century Media

Tags: Celtic Frost, Century Media, Gods, Switzerland, Triptykon

This entry was posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 10:43 am and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.