The passion of Tom Gabriel Fischer

Triptycon & Metropole Orchestra at Roadburn - Paul Verhagen

Triptykon & Metropole Orchestra at Roadburn – Paul Verhagen

To have the Grammy Award winning Metropole orchestra play in 013 is a pleasure. To have them play the life work of Tom Gabriel Fischer, with Triptykon, at Roadburn. Well, that’s a blessing. The set-up is already grand and quite unlike you normally see on your festival set-up. Then the musicians arrive, the curtains open up and the spectacle begins.

Editor: Guido Segers / Photo’s:

Celtic Frost has been laid to rest, particularly since Martin Ain passed away. In this piece we hear fragments of the band as the start of the Requiem was made in 1986 by Fischer, then known as Tom G. Warrior. The full story of its creation, you can read here , but now we see it happen in front of us. It starts with heavy, droning guitar work and a lot of repetition. There’s tension in the air as the piece gets underway, with Triptykon on the forefront and the conductor setting to work with his back to the audience.

As the rendition progresses, we slowly see it open up. When there’s room the orchestra comes in. Blaring horns and thunderous percussion give it that grand gesture, as the whole Metropole Orchestra pushes the music upwards to great hights. The voice of Fischer almost gets drowned out, for the lead singer it’s the same. The backing choir never really becomes audible during the show, which is a shame.

Triptykon & Metropole Orchestra at Roadburn – Paul Verhagen

As we reach a lull in the continuous strength, the percussion takes over for some subtle play and you can hear a pin drop in the main hall of 013. Remember Amenraś acoustic set? That is how quiet it is. Slowly Triptykon fades from the piece and the orchestra takes over in a mournfull dirge. Slowly we return to silence and the applause erupts in full force.

Tom speaks about the project afterwards in V39. He is humble, gracefull and speaks full of gratitude about the project and its massive size. He hopes it was okay and jokes about his mistakes. “I know you bestow all sorts of titles on me, but after all I am simply human. I make mistakes,” he says. ” I am no longer in tune in this world anymore and I really don’t know why I am still here. Now I finished the Requiem I guess I am free to leave.” And the interview turns to a darker place . But a place, like the art, that is fully human. Even in its darkness