Customer Reviews

To Mega Therion

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

True Metal. 100,000,000% metal. In many of my reviews concerning Metal albums, I usually save some space to trash the current so called "nu-metal" trend/travesty, but here, I won't bother. You have only to listen to this disk and you'll realize that this is INFINITELY cooler than any Limp Bizkit/Mudvayne/POD/Slipknot/Linkin Park cd you might own. The music can be described in one word. Apocalyptic. Yes, this is the music of Armageddon. Simultaneously Medieval and Futuristic. Barbaric and cruel, yet containing a sophisticated, poetic "artsy-ness". Heavy beyond belief. And utterly DARK. I would definitely put Tom Warrior up there with Tony Iommi and others as one of the Great Riffmeisters. And his voice! Sure it's a gruff bark, but I've never heard that vocal style used with such emotion and commanding authority. Like the booming voice of Thor as he thunders through the sky throwing his lightening and waging war with the frost giants. Not all the music on this album is fast and furious. About half of the time CF actually takes the music on a slower, plodding path, only to suddenly burst forth in a fury. They knew the value of creating atmosphere and feeling rather than pure speed. The lyrics are obviously influenced by horror/fantasy writers such as Lovecraft/Howard/Derleth etc...
Listen to any Darkthrone or Obituary album to see how influential this band is. This album even pioneered symphonic Metal as well as black metal, with it's use of horns and kettle drums. This seemed a bit odd at the time, but it completely enhanced the dark epic sound. So, if you consider yourself a True Metal fan, you simply cannot live without this cd. Nor can you live without their debut Morbid Tales, or the follow up to TMT, Into The Pandemonium.

I consider Celtic Frost one of the biggest influences of the "Death Metal" scene period. They had more raw power, and more dreamy-evil than any band during it's time. They were completely over the top with this release....A MUST!!

There is not one single song on here that wont scare the **** out of you. That's what kept me coming back to it, and eventually turned me into a Frost fan. They are so unpredictably cool. Talk about chilling!!!

When I first heard this, I was a long-hair headbanger kid who loved bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.....Frost was a complete change for me. I first had it on tape, and this tape was no ordinary tape....It called to me. This is some of the most possessive music ever made by anybody. I know, and love good "Death Metal", but this is something from beyond the doors of the dark. It stands alone, along with Morbid Tales/Emperors Return, I consider them two of the most important releases in the history of "Death Metal"....

Back in the mid-80's, there was nothing even close to this when it comes to darkness. This is nothing short of genius.

Even today, this is very enjoyable. My personal favorite DM band from the 80's no doubt. Celtic Frost will unchain the wild beast that lurks inside of you, and all of us. Give it a shot, and if you don't like it, just wait, it'll be back in your head before you know it.....YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN FAIR WARNING.

Frost Rules!!!!

This is Celtic Frost's second album. Released in 1986, this album was set with intrigue right from the beginning. Co-founder and bassist, Martin Eric Ain, was dismissed from the group two weeks prior to the recording of this album. Despite the fact that Ain had helped arrange most of the songs for this album, a replacement was found in Dominic Steiner. The band entered the studio in early 1986 and began recording this album. About half-way through the recording, Ain had been able to get his head together and patch things up with the other members. Ain finished the recording for this album. Did the distractions make this sophomore outing suffer? Here are my reviews of the songs based out of 5 *****:

"Innocence and Wrath" - A funeral dirge sounding instrumental opens this album and tells the listener right away that this album is going to take you to purgatory and back. French horn and gong crashes really help to set the mood.

"The Usurper" - Thomas Gabriel Warrior's graveled "OOOOH!" punches the listener in the stomach as heavy double-bass drumming and thumping bass lines kick in this Slayer-esque tune. The tempo changes to a thrash style and ends with another "OOOOH!" from Warrior. Rating - ****

"Jewel Throne" - Chugging guitar and thick bass lines punctuated with Warrior's gravel-throated vocals introduce a pounding/pummeling sludgefest. Tempo changes are incorporated throughout this song. Guitar solo reminds me of KK Downing with the heavy whammy-bar and distortion. fantastic lyrics help add the flavour of mysticism to the tune...."As I gaze from the jewel throne to the portal of infinity. Fallen have the 'Chosen Ones'. Debris remains in the dust." Tell me about it! Awesome song! Rating - *****

"Dawn Of Meggido" - Sabbath like fuzzbox guitar and a slow, pounding tempo intros this piece. The french horn is back helping to add color and tension. Multiple tempo changes throughout this song. "We'll never be reborn. Prenatal death's redeemed our lives. (Into his hand) we demand our hearts. The lord and we are one." And so it is. Another tremendous song! Rating - *****

"Eternal Summer" - Galloping guitar and drum rolls propel this thrashed out tune into being. Superheavy double-bass kicking pounds your senses. The tempo slows to a quagmire like pace and slowly resumes it's thrashy speed for the final few bars. Another song with mystical lyrics..."The Gods wince. Human pride and megalomania. The Titans watched it all. The trace led to nowhere. Wrath had to come." Those bastards! GREAT TUNE! Rating - *****

"Circle Of The Tyrants" - This song also opens with Warrior pounding you in the gut..."OOOOH!" bellows out Warrior and a very heavy bass and double-bass drum thumping then whallops you in the head. The tempo changes to thrashed-out guitar during the vocals. Garbled, Satanic sounding effects and numerous drum rolls really flattens the listener into submssion. Another tune with thoughtful lyrics..."After the battle is over and the sands have drunken the blood. All that remains is the bitterness of delusion." Ain't that the truth. Will we EVER learn? Fantastic piece! Rating - *****

"(Beyond The) North Winds" - Fast and fat double-bass kicks and high-hat cymbal playing, along with a thumping bass is all you need to know. Great lyrics abound. Rating - ****

"Fainted Eyes" - Opens very fast! Uber bassing from Dominic Steiner (he hits his bass so hard it sounds like he is clanging a bell!) This piece feels like your in the middle of Tiger tank panzer steamroller! Makes Hulk want to SMASH! Again, multiple changes in the tempo and Warrior's "OOOOOH!" shouts punctuate this piece. A true classic! Rating - *****

"Tears In A Prophet's Dream" - Another spooky/eerie instrumental dotted with distorted cymbal, Bass and guitar effects. Background howls and feedback makes one feel like they're in Satan's torture room.
"Necromantical Screams" - Sabbath like intro gives way to high pitched female vocals giving this piece an etheral quality. French horns make their third appearance on this album, and they are accompanied with the Slayer "Reign In Blood" guitar intro/riff (I wonder who came up with this riff fist?) Once again, numerous tempo changes abound. Great song with interesting lyrics. Rating - *****

This album has the added bonus of being decorated with HR Geiger's drawings! Sadly, this album was overshadowed by Slayer's "Riegn In Blood" that was released the same year. This is a definite classic that helped to transcend the "metal" genre and spawn a new "Gothic" metal style. This is a GREAT piece of MUSIC that deserves to be in any serious music fan's collection. Feed your soul. Get this album!

This album ushered in the NEW, more cohesive Celtic Frost sound (circa 1985). Nearly gone are the fast, hard-core influenced songs like "Into the Crypts of Rays" and "Morbid Tales." After the 'Emperor's Return' recording sessions, the band briefly toured, lost their bass player Martin Ain, and headed back into the studio to record the DARKEST, most GOTHIC, EVIL, SLOW-PACED deat metal album ever put on wax. Every song on this disc is terrific. The sound is still ahead of it's time, and it sounds like TG Warrior is playing 8 guitars at once. Mixed into the album are three tracks from the "Tragic Serenades" recording sessions ('86), where Martin Ain joins back up with the band and they re-do a few of the songs.

The ONLY negative I can say about the CD is that Ain only plays bass on the 'Tragic Serenades' tracks: "The Usurper," "Jewel Throne" and "Return to The Eve." He is such an important part of the band--lyrically and musically. In fact, this is the only CF album I would advise buying that he doesn't play on.

Highlights? ALL OF THEM! To point at a few stand outs though: "The Usurper" (they used to open with this song in concert back in the late 80's...probably their best song), "Circle of the Tyrants" (another CF classic), "Eternal Summer," "Necromantical Screams" (which made the set list on their current 06-07 tour) and of course "Jewel Throne."

Taking the terror a step further, Frost has included a couple of chilling, evil instrumentals again, but also they are starting to incorporate string orchestra instruments, tympanies and female backing vocals, all of which are gothic influences, and all of which make the songs that much scarier. It's not contrived, or "just for show," like King Diamond. It's very integral, and the lyrics prove they are intellegent and well researched. They take this all to a new level on their next album, "Into the Pandemonium," which in my opinion is the best metal album of all time.

You have to get used to Celtic Frost, especially if you're idea of metal is closer to Guns 'n Roses or Motley Crew. CF's brand of grinding, battering thrash was a revelation way back in '87. The guitars are super-distorted and the drums have a grumbling kinda washy reverb over them that makes these cuts sound like they were recorded in a castle on top of the Himalayas. Tom Warrior gargles most of the lyrics up from a cancerous sounding voicebox, every one of them unintelligible. But you know what? I LIKE it! There's a dark feel to the whole thing...the guy who said turn off the lights and listen got the nail right on the head. Visions of the fall of some empire from the Bronze Age, impaled horsemen, Mongol hordes all come to mind. "The Usurper", "Eternal Summer" and "Circle of the Tyrants" are all standouts. CF should get some kind of medal for their time changes and *tempo* changes alone, but their command of atmosphere is what makes this record a classic. For the uninitiated, give it a few spins before you decide. These songs paint terrible pictures, and the music is unforgettable.

My only complaint about TMT is the considerable drop in the level of aggression from "Morbid Tales" and the EP "Emperor's Return". But it has merit enough to have a place in any metal collection.

As other reviewers have cited; CF and even more so Hellhammer have been responsible for the Black Metal movement (much the same way Helloween set the Power Metal trend). But Tom Fischer wasn't out to inspire people to burn churches. He was breaking new ground, musically. This style of music hadn't existed before.

I know from experience that the demographic cattle discard Celtic Frost as a grunting death-metal outfit. But "Morbid Tales" and "To Mega Therion" capture a mood no one will ever be able to copy.

Celtic Frost is a huge influence on most death metal bands today. From Anthrax to Dave Grohl they have been cited as "gods of metal", ushers of black (in the genre of Venom) and death metal. I fisrt heard these guys back in the early 90's, a little late, and after their prime. My fisrt exposure was into the pandemonium, nice start, with a few odd twists. Cold Lake was my next view, and I thought, where are these guys going, and are they supposed to be Metal? Then I heard this album...THIS IS CELTIC FROST. This is what I was told in Legend about.

Born from Hellhammer member Thomas "Warrior" Fischer, Martin Ain, and Stephen Priestly. They first debuted some material on the "Death Metal" compilation for Noise records, and soon released Morbid Tales in 1984. From their debut album Morbid Tales, this was the second album (1985 release) and an awsome follow up that set the standards high for this up and coming band from Swiss/German origins.

From the first song Innocense and Wrath set up a longstading good/evil play that Frost used for many of their albums. Other highlights include Eternal Summer, The Usurper, and Circle of the Tyrants.

If you are a metal fan and have not bought any Frost before, this is a good second choice album. Morbid Tales is the top pick, but you will not be disapointed with this one either.

It is good to see that they are still kicking and alive today, check out their new album Monotheist as well.

Well, I'm not much of a metalhead, but I enjoy weird metal, and this can be categorized as such. Something that no one has mentioned is how bizarre and f@%&king cool the lyrics are!!! They can be hard to make out, but fortunately, they're printed on the inside, so you can savor their weirdness (probably due to the fact that they were Swiss?) I love this - the music is headbanging, primitive psychedelic metal with strange, vague, mystical lyrics. Celtic Frost were not afraid to go where no metal band had gone before. Some songs have tympani, female vocals (sometimes just one line), and other bizarre touches (Tears In A Prophet's Dream is a scary soundscape, not a song). If only other bands would have the courage to be themselves instead of doing what they hope the record company/fans will like!! And Tom Warrior's vocals are great: not shrieky, not Cookie Monster - they're unique and they rule. My favorite 80's metal album (with some of my favorite lyrics ever).

This opus is dedicated to "The Great Wild Beast", Aleister Crowley, ergo, the title, which translates to "Mega Therion" - the first of its kind. This bad is innovative in its use of traditionally-ascribed instruments including the kettle drums, veritable drums of Hell, french horns and trumpets used to create a demoniacal fanfare accentuation, as the daemons arise to overtake the earth!

Dubbed as "the heaviest band on earth", Celtic Frost could certainly deserve that title, as each song incorperates some of the heaviest grinding guitars I have ever heard. Tom Warrior belts out one of the most aggressive vocalizations I have ever heard with lyricks of war, Satan, horror, demons, The Abyss, pain, suffering, and wrath. A truly remarkable combination; and this combined with a namesake warrior aesthetic creates a fearsome dark glamour which many other Heavy Metal bands have replicated. The cover features a piece by Occultic Artist H.R. Giger, granted at no charge, alluding that the artist was in support of the band's efforts, in which the nazarene crucifix is being used as a Lokian slingshot aimed at the viewer; a classiv pieve that would go very well in one's parlor. It is no coincidence that such an artist would have been used, considering Geiger is himself a Thelemite.

The opus begins with Innocence and Wrath, with the use of the afore-mentioned kettle drums and trumpets, accompanied by churning guitars grants the piece a majestic feel unsurpassed in its glory and innovation, making for a powerful introduction, setting the pace for the subsequent songs The Usurper, Jewel Throne, Dawn of Megiddo {of "The Exorcist" fame}, Eternal Summer {banish the thought!}, Circle of The Tyrants, Beyond The North Winds, Fainted Eyes, Tears in a Prophet's Dream {most notable for its exclusive instrumentation blissful illustrating the horrors perceived by a prognosticator gone mad; fade-ins and outs, screams, a haunting music box, groans and wails, but also inclusive of a moaning female voice in the throes of ecstasy - may be useful for certain segments of ritual}; and Necromantical Screams, to give the reader an idea of the subject matter contained herein - quite a sublime amalgam.

These timeless orchestrations are highly recommended and even manditorily prescribed to access the source from whence many others have proceeded. Leather and spikes, a "killer" combination, contained in this morbid entertainment fare, incorperating all three malefik musick elements.

I have read some of the other reviews on this album here, and I concur wholeheartedly with them - this album should be in every serious music fan's collection. How they come up with these guitar riffs that owe nothing to music theory, but still work, is beyond me!
One problem tho': the quality of the recording on the original is fairly ordinary, even with re-mastering to cd.
Whenever I get bored with my last musical fad but before I find something new, I always return to Frost, and this is the album I turn to, nearly 20 years after I bought it on LP.