Rating: 
Summary: Mesmerized!
Review: as a long time metal fan (who has always greatly appreciated the very intriguing celtic frost), this book was great reading. given that rock biographies are usually reserved for big time acts, i almost still can't believe that this book exists. what a cool surprise that tom g. got his memoirs published.while the the book is sometimes unintentionally funny when tom pontificates about the magnitude of his vision for frost and his love life, i really loved reading it. it's such a rare glimpse into the very unique world of underground metal that existed in the 80's.
Rating: 
Summary: can't believe this books exists!
Review: as a long time metal fan (who has always greatly appreciated the very intriguing celtic frost), this book was great reading. given that rock biographies are usually reserved for big time acts, i almost still can't believe that this book exists. what a cool surprise that tom g. got his memoirs published. while the the book is sometimes unintentionally funny when tom pontificates about the magnitude of his vision for frost and his love life, i really loved reading it. it's such a rare glimpse into the very unique world of underground metal that existed in the 80's.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book
Review: Celtic Frost was/is a fantastic band. I watched them from the Hellhammer days(I love the apocalyptic raids e.p.) when Bernard Doe(metal forces Editor) said they were complete crap to rising up to the top of the heap of 80's thrash metal as Celtic Frost. This book portrays the rise and fall of a metal titan. Frost music was playing in my head as I read this. Tom's story had me shaking my head saying "I didnt know that happened" to Laughing out loud. Its got the usual parties girls and the such but it was great reading because I lived the the thrash metal movement and it just brings back great times when it was all about the music. Thanks Tom!
Rating:
Summary: A great account and real eye opener ...
Review: First of all I am honored to be writing the review after the great Tom Warrior Fischer ... I cannot believe it. I am 31 but still a huge fan! The book is a great and easy read and I finished it in 2 days. Being familiar with the music and players names helped, but I think anyone unfamiliar with this might have a hard time "relating" ... so to speak. To me this book is like listening to a Director's Commentary on your favorite DVD. While it gives away a lot about the band and the logic and reasoning behind the creation of their records and the progression of the music throughout the years ... it took away some of the mystery and aura that has surrounded them. I am not saying this is a detremental effect, but this is the effect that it has left on me. The road antics were great and the fact that Sir Fischer has always tried to stay the straight as an arrow path of being monogamous and keeping it in his pants ... was refreshing for a rock star story. Looking forward to a much needed reunion and a great new album soon. Ughhh!
Rating:
Summary: Celtic Frosted Flakes
Review: First off, this book is great. I had only known of CF through the albums and videos I own and now I'm happy to say I can actually remember each member of the band's name by reading this book. As the back cover reads "From record company fights to band splits, backstage decadence to studio disasters...." it certainly paints a nice picture of all the muck and ferry these guys went through but I have some notions that a lot of it was touched up to sound interesting. This is not necessarily a bad thing but the "Bill Bus Driver" story (pg. 170) is a bit weird and hard to imagine. My only drawback on this book was the stages Fischer went through on elaborating the period for "Cold Lake". Sure it was a garbage period for the band but why spend so many pages writing about it? Would have loved to read/seen more stuff on 'Morbid Tales' or 'Emperors Return' sessions. Excellent photography, well organized, and nicely documented makes this book a thumbs up. Recommended definitely.
Rating:
Summary: Some notes from the author...
Review: I am the author of this book, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank the amazing people who posted their very flattering reviews here. It is very humbling to read your assessments of what is my first book. A couple of notes: even though my native language is English (I am bilingual), we did utilize an English editor, and it was actually the editor who altered some of the original text and also introduced a number of mistakes. This, after his first edition of my manuscript was scrapped at my insistence, because the book had become unrecognizable to me. The English have a funny way of editing, don't they... The "Bill bus driver" story is 100% true, as are all the other stories in the book! I actually toned down some of the events described, because various parties involved asked me to. There were a great number of further "unbelievable" stories, but we shorted the mansucript by 50% before publication, in order to fit the many photos and prevent the book from becoming too repetitive.
Rating:
Summary: Uncle Tom's gabbin' - UUNH!!
Review: I must say this was written with me - or someone like me - in mind. To the uninitiated, this may seem like a lengthy account of a struggling heavy metal band that gets crushed by the big bad independent label, falling victim to bad luck and the ill-fated Grunge movement in its later career. But to the Frost fanatic, this book answers lingering questions about what was going on through those crucial years when my friends and I played their albums like no other band, metal or otherwise. They were brutal, heavy, very foreign, unintelligible and intelligent all at the same time, and seemed to come from a world faraway and forgotten by time. Tom has many endearing words for fans and bandmembers alike, but few nice words for those in a music industry capacity who worked with the band. His sensitivity is surprising in light of the brutality of the band's sound, and the very drive and passion that created a monster that was often out of even his control may be what thwarted any harmony with an industry out of step with such ambitious artistry. I find several amusing points in Mr. Fischer's point of view, particularly his conviction that they were poised on the brink of being commercially successful (he uses the term 'household word' a couple of times) but were thwarted when videos and proper cover art were witheld by the dysfunctional label. I'll admit the world deserved a more accurate representation of their genius, but that doesn't mean a public who thought bands like Ratt and Twisted Sister represented heavy metal would ever embrace their grunt-laden Swiss pummeling. He also tells repeatedly how the band put up most of the funding and went broke while label disputes dragged on, yet only a few pages after complaining of being broke again in the latter part of the book, he tells us of the studio he built in his home. Tom is a very good writer, considering that English is at least a second language, and my only complaint with the content is that very little is said about the songs themselves, and any insight into their mysterious little worlds would have been appreciated. (I guess we'll have to live with liner notes for that.) Yes, in a perfect world Tom and his rotating cast of bandmembers would be reaping the fruits of their genius and conviction, which becomes apparent both in the music and in the telling, particularly surrounding studio work (where the book begins - mid-career). We who were involved in underground circuits (whether punk or metal) did our part - devouring this material and always hungering for more. When the disastrous "Cold Lake" appeared (which gets a satisfactory explanation and apology in the book) we felt horribly betrayed. The band with the most artistic credibility in the industry had committed the unpardonable sin. Combined with a string of industry mishaps, bad luck, and even worse management and label representation, the Frost -in many ways originators of what would become Death Metal - died a slow, quiet, and ironic death. This story does have a happy ending, but not in its pages. Mr. Fischer is now fronting an amazing band with former Frost roadie and Coroner drummer Marky Edelmann called Apollyon's Sun which is getting constant play at home these days. What perfect timing - just before I discovered this book, which was a fast and enjoyable read. My interest in Celtic Frost's music (MOST of it, at least) has been rekindled and the classic albums sound as good as ever. (The crucial ones are now available overseas, remastered by Tom in 1999, the way they were intended to sound.) Listen to one of these classics as you look at the picture of him with his bike as a child. Who knew this scrawny kid would one day yield such a mighty axe?
Rating:
Summary: Uncle Tom's gabbin' - UUNH!!
Review: I must say this was written with me - or someone like me - in mind. To the uninitiated, this may seem like a lengthy account of a struggling heavy metal band that gets crushed by the big bad independent label, falling victim to bad luck and the ill-fated Grunge movement in its later career. But to the Frost fanatic, this book answers lingering questions about what was going on through those crucial years when my friends and I played their albums like no other band, metal or otherwise. They were brutal, heavy, very foreign, unintelligible and intelligent all at the same time, and seemed to come from a world faraway and forgotten by time. Tom has many endearing words for fans and bandmembers alike, but few nice words for those in a music industry capacity who worked with the band. His sensitivity is surprising in light of the brutality of the band's sound, and the very drive and passion that created a monster that was often out of even his control may be what thwarted any harmony with an industry out of step with such ambitious artistry. I find several amusing points in Mr. Fischer's point of view, particularly his conviction that they were poised on the brink of being commercially successful (he uses the term 'household word' a couple of times) but were thwarted when videos and proper cover art were witheld by the dysfunctional label. I'll admit the world deserved a more accurate representation of their genius, but that doesn't mean a public who thought bands like Ratt and Twisted Sister represented heavy metal would ever embrace their grunt-laden Swiss pummeling. He also tells repeatedly how the band put up most of the funding and went broke while label disputes dragged on, yet only a few pages after complaining of being broke again in the latter part of the book, he tells us of the studio he built in his home. Tom is a very good writer, considering that English is at least a second language, and my only complaint with the content is that very little is said about the songs themselves, and any insight into their mysterious little worlds would have been appreciated. (I guess we'll have to live with liner notes for that.) Yes, in a perfect world Tom and his rotating cast of bandmembers would be reaping the fruits of their genius and conviction, which becomes apparent both in the music and in the telling, particularly surrounding studio work (where the book begins - mid-career). We who were involved in underground circuits (whether punk or metal) did our part - devouring this material and always hungering for more. When the disastrous "Cold Lake" appeared (which gets a satisfactory explanation and apology in the book) we felt horribly betrayed. The band with the most artistic credibility in the industry had committed the unpardonable sin. Combined with a string of industry mishaps, bad luck, and even worse management and label representation, the Frost -in many ways originators of what would become Death Metal - died a slow, quiet, and ironic death. This story does have a happy ending, but not in its pages. Mr. Fischer is now fronting an amazing band with former Frost roadie and Coroner drummer Marky Edelmann called Apollyon's Sun which is getting constant play at home these days. What perfect timing - just before I discovered this book, which was a fast and enjoyable read. My interest in Celtic Frost's music (MOST of it, at least) has been rekindled and the classic albums sound as good as ever. (The crucial ones are now available overseas, remastered by Tom in 1999, the way they were intended to sound.) Listen to one of these classics as you look at the picture of him with his bike as a child. Who knew this scrawny kid would one day yield such a mighty axe?
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Insights Into Celtic Frost And The Music Industry
Review: I will make this brief. I am a long time fan of Celtic Frost. After reading this book I basically became a bigger fan and also gained a lot more respect for the band. If you have ever listened to Celtic Frost, heard of CF, liked CF, hated CF, or havent even heard of Celtic Frost, I still recommend reading this book because of the insights into the music business. A++++
Rating:
Summary: The Warrior, that was me!
Review: Overall a very well done account of Tom G. and Celtic Frost. If you were a fan of the Frosties, this is a must read, it really answered every question I had about this great, forgotten band. Tom takes himself a little seriously at times, but then again he always has. If you aren't a CF fan, you might be somewhat lost, but the tales he tells about the recording industry makes for some good reading. Recommended.
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