Well this is a doozy. Released last week (we unboxed it in the runup), this best of a box includes Celtic Frost’s first two albums, first two EPs, and a set of rehearsal tracks from back in the day. As well as the music we have a metal badge, a sew-on patch and a posted. Oh, and a 40-page book. The box is nice as well.
Now Celtic Frost are a band I am aware of but not familiar with. The closest I’ve come to them is seeing Triptykon live a few years ago, which is essentially seeing one member playing in a different band. They were still an active entity when I was in my formative metal years, but just one of the many bands I didn’t pursue. As such, this review is essentially my very first exposure to their music (aside from unwittingly hearing “Circle of the Tyrants” on Obituary’s Cause of Death and not knowing it was a cover). Not bad given that most of the material was released 35+ years ago.
Morbid Tales (1984)
As with the other released on here, this is the original version of the album / EP and not the expanded version. Or one of them. It seems there was a US and a European version of this – the box set features the US version. Celtic Frost were known for being ahead of the curve. Broadly speaking a thrash band with elements of other fledgling genres, they weren’t afraid to be a little experimental. To prove this, the first track on their first official release is 41 seconds of what sounds like someone screaming in the distance. Well, OK, that sets the scene I guess.
“Into Cryptic Rays” is the first actual song and you really do get an old-school vibe. My immediate impression is “Motörhead” – fast, heavy, thrashy and (coincidentally) a three-piece. While the recording quality is top notch with the bass really thumping, it still has that slightly tinny and “recorded live” feel you often get from early releases. The vocals in particular sometimes come across as a little breathless and attempting to push through the music – more like someone singing while playing rather than tracked separately. This isn’t a criticism, more an observation.
The pace is generally quite frenetic, but here are heavier and slower numbers like “Dethroned Emperor” which demonstrate the band’s willingness to keep their wings well spread.
Emperor’s Return (1985)
This release marks Emperor’s Return‘s first appearance on CD despite a re-release on other formats back in 1999. Interestingly it features two songs which were already on Morbid Tales, at least on the US version included in this package. “Dethroned Emperor” and “Morbid Tales” are surrounded by a handful of other material and it seems that the songs were recorded at different times. At least the production would indicate as such. Compare “Circle of the Tyrants” recorded-in-a-garage sound to “Morbid Tales”‘ far more well-developed sound and you’ll see what I mean.
It’s a shame to get the repeated tracks, but it does allow the listener to compare songs more closely and get a feel for the way the band were working on their sound. It’s a decent little entry in their catalogue, but the first major highlight was to come only months later.
To Mega Therion (1985)
The first full album was released the next calendar year and you can tell the band have gone a little nuts with the addition of a brass band for the introductory opener (who reappear for other songs such as “Dawn of Meggido”). Past that, though, the metal assault returns with production being a little better than on Morbid Tales. I’d liken it to something like Slayer’s Show No Mercy (released the previous year) in terms of audio quality and technique. The echo on the vocals and the high end treble give the whole thing an abrasive edge, but the music itself is pretty clear.
Certainly, especially with the non-traditional instruments, you get the feeling from this point that Celtic Frost were a band prepared to push a few boundaries. The only time offhand I can recall hearing anything similar in a non-themed album (such as Ex Deo’s releases) was on Soulfly’s Archangel.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Into The Pandemonium (1987)
Following the usual annual / bi-annual release schedule of bands back in the day, Into The Pandemonium didn’t give the band a huge amount of time to evolve yet they did still manage to tweak things a bit. Opener “Mexican Radio” is a far cry from their earlier material in terms of style, and the first opening track to actually be a song. It’s more of a rock n’ roller, with an interesting use of backing vocals in the chorus as well as some background recordings.
There’s definitely a more atmospheric and experimental sound as the tracks progress, perhaps heading towards the sound that Fischer and Ain envisioned when they first sat down to plot Celtic Frost’s future one night in 1984. There’s no denying the Black Sabbath influence (but, hell, what band wasn’t influenced by the Black Country’s favourite sons?). Songs like “Mezmerised” and “Sorrows of the Moon” pulled in the trippy feel of classic rock and wound them into at-the-time modern metal numbers. Arguably despite being a little off the wall in places, Into The Pandemonium still manages to be very accessible, especially for fans of older rock and roll.
Grave Hill Bunker Rehearsals (1984)
As far as I’m aware, this one can only be obtained as part of this collection and is definitely a collector’s piece. Obviously the songs present will appear on other releases, but this is the closest I think you’ll get to recordings of Celtic Frost playing “live” from back in the day. While the recordings are rough, they’re very easy to listen to and surprisingly better quality than I would have expected for what amounts to a microphone in a rehearsal studio.
The other stuff
I gave the other contents a once-over and they’re decent padding for the collection. The poster is neat and I’m sure someone won’t mind spoiling it with Blu-Tac to pop it on a wall. The metal badge and woven patch are of decent quality, and the 40-page booklet is well worth a read. Fans of the band likely won’t learn anything new, but it’s a nice collection of photos and quotes. I know I enjoyed the time I spent reading through it.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Danse Macabre is out now and available in vinyl and CD versions
Check out all the bands we review in 2022 on our Spotify and YouTube playlists!
Header image by Sergio Archetti
