Mark Tremonti, guitarist of Alter Bridge and Creed, recently revealed his second-favorite metal band in an interview shared on Louder Sound.
Tremonti discussed his deep connection to Celtic Frost, a band he considers one of the most influential in extreme metal history.
“Growing up and becoming a metal fan, Celtic Frost was right behind Metallica as one of my favorite metal bands, and Morbid Tales/Emperor’s Return was my favorite record,” he said. “It was a staple of my collection.”
The guitarist explained how he discovered the band and what drew him to their sound.
“I still remember my friend John introducing me to Celtic Frost with Into The Pandemonium, which I fell in love with right away,” Tremonti continued. “So as I used to do, I then went and picked up every record I could by the band, and Morbid Tales/Emperors Return became my go-to favorite.”
He emphasized what made Celtic Frost stand out among other extreme metal bands.
“I often see Celtic Frost referred to as one of the most influential, if not the most influential, black metal bands in the world,” he said. “There’s no other band that from that scene that drew me in like them. It was the mood and atmosphere they create with this record – and the aggression as well.”
Tremonti’s admiration for Celtic Frost reflects the band’s profound impact on the metal landscape, a legacy that extends far beyond their Swiss origins.
Black Metal Archives reported that Celtic Frost emerged from the remnants of Hellhammer in 1984, formed by Tom Gabriel Fischer (Tom G. Warrior) and Martin Eric Ain. Their debut album, Morbid Tales, released that same year, was a groundbreaking work that combined raw thrash with atmospheric elements, setting the stage for death metal.
The 1987 album Into The Pandemonium, which first introduced Tremonti to the band, represents Celtic Frost’s most adventurous work. Louder Sound noted that the album was a complex and traumatic experience for the band but has since become a highly influential record, admired by bands like Darkthrone, Dimmu Borgir, and Nirvana.
Celtic Frost’s influence on metal extends across multiple subgenres and generations. Dig Me Out Podcast highlighted that the band’s music laid the groundwork for several metal subgenres, including black metal, doom, and avant-garde metal. Bands like Mayhem, Paradise Lost, and Opeth have cited Celtic Frost as an influence.
The band’s aesthetic and sound have also impacted visual styles in metal, spreading beyond the genre into industrial and blackgaze. Their unique blend of doom, thrash, and proto-black metal elements, combined with classical and opera influences in later works, created a template that countless bands would follow in the decades to come.
While Celtic Frost’s influence may not be immediately apparent in Creed or Alter Bridge’s music, Tremonti credits the band with shaping his musical perspective as a teenager.
