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Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
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The demise of Hellhammer and the rise of
Celtic Frost would provide the roots for Black Metal bands of the future
as well as other sub-genre of heavy metal. While the debut Celtic Frost
album, “Morbid Tales,” has become one of many influential albums, but
their follow-up full-length release, “To Mega Therion,” might be without
a doubt one of the best albums in the bands catalog.
Released originally in 1985, and an album that attracted many because of
the unique cover done by Swiss artist H.R. Giger, “To Mega Therion” took
the sound of Celtic Frost heard on their first release and brought a
heavier, darker, and more sinister sound. Opening with a short
instrumental track which is a prelude for what’s to come, the first song
on the release, ‘The Usurper,” a cut which appeared previously on the
bands “Tragic Serenade” EP, shows a drastic musical improvement. “Jewel
Throne,” another track from their aforementioned EP, has a pounding,
driving beat that when mixed with the low tuned guitars and Tom
Warrior’s gruff vocals, becomes an instant classic.
Not everything in Celtic Frost is about speed however, not that they
were ever a band where that was the focus, but the slow and haunting
“Dawn of Meggido” mixes their sound with timpani drums and instruments
beyond those usually found in metal would become a trademark of the
band. “Eternal Summer” meanwhile is more of the early Celtic Frost with
their standard up-tempo beat matched with a slow mid-section to balance
the song out perfectly.
Celtic Frost has a number of tracks that have become legendary,
influential, and well-covered by other artists, and that is the case
with “Circle of the Tyrants,” a prime example of Celtic Frost crafting a
song that is memorable, worth repeat listening, and almost on par with
becoming an anthem to some degree. A track however that I feel is
overlooked by many is “(Beyond The) North Winds,” a song that shows some
very good progressions, memorable guitar riffs, and its own heaviness
that bands have strived for. Celtic Frost would also include, at least
on their earlier releases, instrumentals that were capable of inducing
nightmares in some, and “Tears in a Prophet's Dream” is one of those.
Filled with ambient noises and strange cries, “Tears” almost surpasses
what the band did with a similar song, “”Danse Macabre” on their “Morbid
Tales” release. Finally, “Necromantical Screams” has once again the
heavy, slow Celtic Frost that many have come to love and in some ways,
almost is the herald to an end as the band would start to change with
their future release, driving away their fanbase save for only the most
loyal who held out hope that the band would return to its roots.
“To Mega Therion” has now served as a template for a number of metal
acts around the world, and like many of the early Celtic Frost releases,
it’s an album that can be enjoyed and appreciated from start to finish
without the need to skip tracks. Had Celtic Frost continues on this
musical path, there’s no telling what direction they would have went,
though it probably wouldn’t have been glam, something that ultimately
destroyed them before, years later, they would arise again and return to
their origins. “To Mega Therion” is yet another classic metal release
that belongs in the collection of any true metalhead and twenty years
later, will still have an impact on listeners.
-mike-
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Lineup:
Tom Gabriel Fischer - Guitars, Vocals
Dominic Steiner - Bass
Reed St. Mark - Drums
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Track Listing:
01 – Innocence and Wrath
02 – The Usurper"
03 – Jewel Throne
04 – Dawn of Meggido
05 – Eternal Summer
06 – Circle of the Tyrants
07 – (Beyond the) North Winds
08 – Fainted Eyes
09 – Tears in a Prophet's Dream
10 – Necromantical Screams
Total Playing Time:
40:23
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