Metalfanatics Board

I am deeply affected by Martin Eric Ain's passing. Our relationship was very complex and definitely not free of conflicts, but Martin's life and mine were very closely intertwined, since we first met in 1982. My life will be painfully incomplete without his existence.

The above photo was taken on the occasion of Celtic Frost's second of two consecutive concerts in New York, at the start of the group's first North American tour in 17 years. Reed St. Mark and I had maintained contact and also met sporadically following Celtic Frost's original termination in early 1993. But this was the first time all three members of the classic Celtic Frost line-up met since working together in the 1980s. The three of us would meet one more time, when Celtic Frost returned to tour North America with Type O Negative in April and May of 2007.

Today, when Reed and I talked about Martin's death on the phone, Reed said to me: "Now, there's only the two of us." It completely broke my heart.