Monotheist (Dlx) (Dig) [Enhanced]

Celtic Frost | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 30, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Century Media
• ASIN: B000F8DTN2
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,287 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #14 in Music > World Music > Europe > Continental Europe > Switzerland

Track Listings

1. Progeny

2. Ground

3. A Dying God Coming into Human Flesh

4. Drown in Ashes

5. Os Abysmi Vel Daath

6. Temple of Depression

7. Obscured

8. Domain of Decay

9. Ain Alohim

10. Triptych: Totengott

11. Triptych: Synagoga Satanae

12. Triptych: Winter (Requiem, Chapter Three: Finale)

Editorial Reviews

Founding members Tom Gabriel Fischer and Martin Eric Ain are rightfully considered the "elder statesmen" of innovative metal. In 2000 the two co-founders eventually began work on a new Celtic Frost album. Their new album, Monotheist, was produced by the band and coproduced by Peter T„gtgren (Hypocrisy, Dimmu Borgir, Immortal). It is an extremely dark, inventive, and radically heavy release that features monolithic, droning doom anthems that rival the primitive massiveness of Hellhammer as well as forays into their gloomy experimental side ala the classic Into The Pandemonium release. Doubtlessly Celtic Frost's most sinister album to date. Only death is real!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars , June 3, 2006

By 

Douglas Hernandez "varathron1" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monotheist (Dlx) (Dig) (Audio CD)

Here's another release from a band that had been dormant for years, so here's the verdict: Monotheist is just pure greatness. I was never a fan of the experimental side of Celtic Frost, and while there's some experimentation in here to a greater degree, it all works organically to achieve some scary results. The album is also full of slow, crushing riffing akin to their Morbid Tales debut, which makes Monotheist one of the heaviest experiences you'll ever come across. The songs are lengthy and repetitious and that's what makes them effective. While it's hard to classify this opus, it's safe to say that it's a doom metal album. There's a lot of stuff going on, it never gets boring. Listen deep into the music and you'll find something new by each listen. Tom's vocals are harsh, brutal and mysterious, and the production is exceptional. Great comeback album, I give my respect to Frost for such a masterpiece. One of the best albums of 2006 so far!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark, Sinster, Hopeless... and Scary as Hell., November 24, 2006

By 

p_drl - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monotheist (Dlx) (Dig) (Audio CD)

Don't expect another "To Mega Therion," anytime soon, folks. In fact, don't expect anything remotely predictable, up-tempo, or straight-forward, because "Monotheist" is far from any of that. With this comeback album, Celtic Frost not only immerse, but glorify themselves on their new brand of experimental, hellish, and doom-laden metal. The most explicit song you'll find on this album is the opening 2 tracks, "Progeny," and "Ground." After that, it's a dive into the obscure, the unknown, and the occult.

Peter Tagtren's production brings out the bleak, menacing, and suffocating undertones on this album wonderfully. Tom's vocals are abysmal, dark, and truly PISSED. Guitars are tuned REALLY low, which help add some gut-level punch, and the drums, as always at Abyss Studios, are produced wonderfully. The electronic elements aren't distracting, and actually add a more modern, sophisticated edge to the goth-laced doom metal. The song "Drown in Ashes" features spacious synths, detached female vocals, and lurching bass lines while still being able to fit in with the likes of the next track, "Os Abysmi Vel Daath," which is probably one of the most ominus, blackened doom metal songs I've heard in a while.

By integrating an occult influence into the music, the album is made that much darker. The closing trinity of the album features invocations written in German and Latin, and the slug-paced metal, resonating with feedback and hellish ambience, makes it come to life. All of the lyrics are explained in the booklet, and even for a very educated person of the occult, you would be baffled at the depth of the lyrics and can truly tell that there is some time and effort put into these works.

While old-schoolers may shake their heads in disapproval, lovers of the more obscure side of metal, such as myself, will be delighted at the sheer crushing weight of this album.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally the gods of avant garde have returned!!!!!!!, June 7, 2006

By 

Frank Rini (Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monotheist (Dlx) (Dig) (Audio CD)

Being a fan of the band since the Hellhammer days I stopped buying their music after the incredible 'Into the Pandemonium', due to the band changing their sound to a more commercial/poser type of thing. Vanity/Nemesis, as far as I was concerned was still too commercial and lacked what Frost was about. 14 years later Warrior and Ain and 2 others have put together one of the heaviest releases, ever!! This is so incredible, not sure where to begin. The songs as a whole are slower, even venturing into old Cathedral and Winter, in terms of slow heavy dirge. But there are still midpaced and some fast trax. They have incorporated a little goth into the mix and the avant garde atmosphere surrounds this cd, much like Into the Pandemonium. The opening track Progeny is brilliant. It's fast, slow and has some great Warrior grunts on the tune. Really the cd just gets better. The female guest vocals are back and just add to the atmosphere. This cd is Evil, I imagine this is what hell would sound like, if it created music. A very dark and emotional cd. Some people have said the songs are not as catchy as some of their past songs. This is simply not true, the songs are very catchy and memorable. If you were a true Celtic Frost fan back in the day and have also matured with time you will no doubt love this cd. If you were a frost fan, but are still stuck in the past, you will have trouble with this cd, no super fast songs like Jewel Throne or Visual Aggression, however the band is 100% Celtic Frost and this is the best cd of 2006!