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Ooh! The Roadburn Festival has chosen Tom G. Warrior as its curator for 2010. By all accounts, this year’s Neurosis-curated event was a hit, so Warrior’s work is cut out for him. He will select 16 bands for the festival. His pals 1349 (reviewed here) will likely make the cut. Perhaps so will Valborg, an excellent band mentioned in his blog. He was drawn to its “density, darkness, and minimalism.” Those are fine standards to follow. He also cited Bohren und der Club of Gore, who would fit that bill. At the festival, the world will finally get to hear Triptykon, which will probably sound like Celtic Frost. Additionally, Warrior’s history of Hellhammer and early Celtic Frost, Only Death Is Real, comes out this fall on Bazillion Points.
In honor of such procreation of the wicked, here is the tab for the song’s riff at 0:17. It is one of my all-time favorite riffs. The song is full of great ones, variations on Celtic Frost’s signature half-step movements. But this one’s nagging bend burrows into you; then it worms around on the lower frets. Evil! Without fancy typesetting at my disposal, I’ve made up some primitive notation. “6b7r6″ means “bend a half step up from the sixth fret, then release back down to it.” The “p”’s below the open E chords indicate palm muting. The backslash between the last two chords denote a slide up between them. In recent years, Tom and co. have basically pitched this tune down from 45rpm to 33 1/3. Live videos show the band tuned down to B (from E) and turning the original trudge into a doom behemoth. A good riff is a good riff, whichever way you take it.
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this song is so beastly. the flatted-fifth bending just oozes evil. classic, classic riffage.
i have to admit the sepultura cover is really good too. it's hard for me to listen to an album of theirs anymore but their version of the celtic frost song is one of the best songs they've ever done.
i wonder if tuning this down to B was a direct result of the sepultura cover
Here's my short guess list:
Sunn O))) – Opened for Celtic Frost during the west coast leg of their 2006 U.S. tour.
Mayhem – Was in a Celtic Frost tribute album, some band members have pseudonyms with Hellhammer references.
Gallhammer – Tom admits he loves this band.
Apoptygma Beserk – I believe their previous touring guitarist is from this band.
Sahg – opened for Celtic Frost during the midwest/east coast legs of their 2006 U.S. tour.
Gorgoroth – Tom and Gaahl look like they're good buddies.
Great post. That riff has continued to be one of my favorites since I first heard it in 1986 or so.
Tom is one of my favorite musicians of all time, and his arsenal of simple, trudging, dark riffs is one of the reasons. Wish I had a way of attending the Roadburn fest.
Yes, that Sepultura cover was a pleasant surprise.
bacon and blastbeats: Agreed so far with your predictions. I also think he might bring Goatwhore and Watain (both have toured with CF) and Averse Sefira from the states (they have been repeatedly cited on his blog).
Well whatever the line-up, I'm gonna be there. If I can get my mitts on a ticket, that is. Would be great to see Bohren again and woudn't at all mind a doomy set from 1349…
I wouldn't be surprised if Tom tries to get Fields Of The Nephilim & Nefilim. He has cited them before as contemporary influence.