Tom Gabriel Fischer said he thinks about reuniting with drummer Reed St. Mark every day but in the 2000s, their late bandmate Martin Ain didn’t want him involved in their reunion.
“You know what? It’s something I think about every single day,” the singer told in a chat with Andrew McKaysmith’s Scars And Guitars podcast about reuniting with reunite with Reed. “Reed is still one of my closest friends, and we are still in contact.”
He continued, “And we have talked about it. And Reed would’ve been part of the Celtic Frost union in the 2000s, but Martin [Ain, late Celtic Frost bassist] didn’t like the idea, for some reason. I never really found out why Martin didn’t want Reed to be part of it, because I actually flew to New York to ask Reed to be part of it, and Reed said he would be.”
Fischer now wonders if they should have gone with Reed back then as he added, “But Martin opposed it and brought in his own friend, Franco Sesa, which, of course, eventually [led to the band’s split]. I respect Martin’s choices, which is why it happened. Celtic Frost wasn’t a dictatorship. But now, in hindsight, maybe we should have done it with Reed.”
Celtic Frost got back together in 2001 and released ‘Monotheist.’ They broke up again in 2008, and Fischer then started the band Triptykon. In 2006, Fischer told Terrorizer magazine why St. Mark wasn’t involved in the recording of ‘Monotheist.’ He said, “Reed was a driving factor in getting the band back together. For years he pestered me and I was not interested. I only got interested when we all got in touch again to do the reissues five years ago.”
He added, “By that time Reed had moved to a place in his life where it was physically and psychologically impossible for him to play on an album, and I’m trying to say it respectfully ’cause I’m still really good friends with him. He knows, too, that he wouldn’t have been able, even though he was keen for very many years. I know he’s in a much better place now.”
Ain died from a heart attack on October 21, 2017. Tom also revealed that they’re considering doing a tribute show or two for Ain. They want to play Celtic Frost songs in Martin’s honor.