THOMAS GABRIEL FISHER

I won't reconcile to the world

- Dou you like to read similar biographies?
I like biographies as I’m interested only in factual literature. Besides, I love occult and architectural titles. I don’t like fictional literature at all.

- I hope that „Only Death Is Real...” will have its Polish edition. And by the way, how do you recall CELTIC FROST visiting Poland? I mean Mystic Festival where you supported SLAYER.
To play gigs in Eastern Europe was one of our unfulfilled ambitions. It was to and should happen earlier - during the first life of CELTIC FROST but there were many obstacles. This is why playing on Mystic Festival was almost making our dreams come true. The reception of Polish maniacs was amazing. We didn’t know what to expect but the concert was simply awesome. We were surrounded almost all the time both in a hotel and in the place of the festival. I’m thinking about coming back to Poland for other gigs and I hope that this will happen very soon.

- The promotional campaign of “Monotheist” lasts continuously for almost half a year. Which stages are the most unforgettable for you?
Well...you asked very difficult question. It’s hard to grasp such a long period, so many events. For sure I will long remember what happened in USA where religious fanatics were trying to make us Christians. It was a bad choice. Foolish and blind people were trying to persuade us that what we do is wrong and that our sins would be lost if we admitted faith in their god. We had fucking great fun.

- Soon there’ll come out “Demon Entrails” release containing re-mastered demo “Death Fiend"/"Triumph of Death" and "Satanic Rites". How do you refute provocations that you’re trying to cadge money from people for this old crap?
I smile. We’ve been waiting 25 years for releasing these demos. During this time innumerable number of bootlegs containing them appeared which weren’t handed out for free. Did anyone think to ask us for consent when releasing them? It’s under copyright law and did they pay us? Did they reimbursed us for recording session? No! And we physically paid for all that. We were recording this material when we didn’t have any money, we were doing our best to raise them to pay for session. It cost fortune for us then. So if today anyone dare say that we release “Demon Entrails” for money I laugh in his face. As for the release itself, it’ll be something special but I must stress once again, it’s not for our fans, first of all it’s for us. These demo tapes represent our youth, the times when everything started. They symbolize the times when extreme metal almost didn’t exist, except for VENOM and HELLHAMMER. No one heard about AC/DC (he must be mad – D.K.), METALLICA or SLAYER then. We were one of the first bands playing this kind of music, we started doing it when releasing such stuff was clear madness. Thanks to this stage my world had changed forever and I am now who I am. Thanks to it I perceive music as I do it now. I write as I write. This period arranged my whole life. „Demon Entrails” release is very symbolic and I won’t lie if I say that it’s very important for me. Only after years we discovered how crucial for us HELLHAMMER was. How much it determined our lives. I’m really glad that these materials will at last appear in a proper version with correct lyrics, pics and information. Layout and the whole box will be amazing, I’m enchanted with it. What’s more “Demon Entrails” will be sold in a price disproportionate to the costs and the content. No one then has the right to blame us with greed. Well, maybe those who don’t have the foggiest idea about how it really works.

- I’m HELLHAMMER’s fan and I’m not going to talk back. I will put this release next to other albums with pleasure. Also enthusiasts for black albums will be pleased as “Demon Entrails” will appear as the triple vinyl.
It’s mainly thanks to Martin. He’s addicted to vinyl records, he collects them passionately. It was out of question to prevent him from having it in this form. It will be wonderful as well.

- What do you feel listening to the first crude HELLHAMMER’s records?
They awake many memories. Very intensive ones. It was very hard and dark period of my life. The time in which my life was a hell. I really had extremely hard childhood, I was abused and battered. Just then I set up HELLHAMMER and when I listen to this stuff I have really emotional attitude to it. In these hard days the band was kind of escape from the surrounding me world. It was another dimension and the access to it had only me and a few of my friends. It was my sanctuary, my asylum. With every sound the memories come back, it’s unusual feeling.