Seminal avant-garde metal pioneers CELTIC FROST have been confirmed for next year's Wacken Open Air, set to take place August 3-5, 2006 in Wacken, Germany. The reunited band will perform a 90-minute "best of" set (including new songs) on August 4 on the "Blackstage." The festival billing is now shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):

CELTIC FROST
CHILDREN OF BODOM
DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER
EMPEROR
FINNTROLL
IN EXTREMO
NEVERMORE
SOILWORK
SUBWAY TO SALLY

As previously reported, CELTIC FROST have set "Dark Matter Manifest" as the tentative title of their first album in 13 years. The culmination of some three and a half years of songwriting and recording work, the album was largely produced by the band themselves and financed by their own production company, with additional assistance from HYPOCRISY/PAIN mastermind Peter Tägtgren during the final recording and mixing sessions at Horus Sound Studio in Hanover, Germany. Negotiations with a variety of labels are currently underway, and the album is scheduled for a release in early 2006. Original CELTIC FROST members Tom Gabriel Fischer (voice and guitars) and Martin Eric Ain (bass) are joined by Erol Unala (guitar) and Franco Sesa (drums). The band are now managed by Antje Lange for The A Label in Berlin, Germany.


Sources: http://www.blabbermouth.net & http://www.wacken.com

Band profile:

Celtic Frost