Martin Eric Ain and Tom Gabriel Fischer of the Swiss avant-garde/metal pioneers CELTIC FROST have issued the following statement:

"In the wake of the events transpiring earlier this year, we, who together formed CELTIC FROST in 1984 and together reformed the group in 2001, have discussed the situation and agree that any continuation of CELTIC FROST without either one of us would be irreconcilable with our original ideas and detrimental to the group's legacy. We have therefore jointly decided to lay CELTIC FROST to rest for good and to treasure and honor what we have created together in the course of the history of this truly unique band. All that is left to do now is to bow our heads in sincere gratitude and pay respect to CELTIC FROST's audiences and friends who have made this group's existence possible in the first place."

Fischer announced his departure from CELTIC FROST in April, citing "the irresolvable, severe erosion of the personal basis so urgently required to collaborate within a band so unique, volatile, and ambitious."

It was reported earlier in the year that CELTIC FROST was putting together an album tentatively titled "Monotheist Companion" that will feature unreleased songs from 2006's "Monotheist" sessions and rearrangements of tracks from the album.

Fischer has launched a new project called TRIPTYKON, also featuring Reed St. Mark (ex-CELTIC FROST), V. Santura (DARK FORTRESS) and Vanja Slay. The first audio sample, a track called "Cucifixus", can be heard on TRIPTYKON's official MySpace page.

Commented Fischer: "TRIPTYKON will sound as close to CELTIC FROST as is humanly possible, and the album I am working on will feature all the material I envisioned for the successor to [CELTIC FROST's] 'Monotheist'. I desire the album to be a darker, heavier, and slightly more experimental development of 'Monotheist'.

"'Cucifixus' is but one of many compositions to that end. TRIPTYKON is not defined by just this one song, however, just like CELTIC FROST was not defined by 'Totengott' alone."