To Mega Therion (‘The Great Beast’), starts with a slow dirge like introduction. Riffs are played over brass instruments to create an almost film score doom track. Innocence And Wrath has no vocals but the composition catches the attention. The Usurper is a more typical mid tempo thrasher, Tom G.Warrior’s signature grunts are apparent and the riffing and subtle time changes are satisfying. The female vocals are discordant and take one by surprise, a track with very noticeable Black Metal traits. Jewel Throne is a chugger and is almost melodic until the time change at the half way point where it becomes more alive, the playing far more technical. The solo is divine. Dawn Of Meggido begins the Avante-Garde trait that Celtic Frost will make there path, the riffing and percussion sound wholly different to what has come before, vocals sit back in the mix, brass instruments are in effect and lend an epic feel, it all breaks down in the last third…
Eternal Summer has us back to thrashing, but in the Celtic Frost way, intense yet melodic, the guitars tuned to a sound that many thrash bands will try to emulate. Percussion is truly outstanding by Reed St.Mark. A classic, Circle Of The Tyrants is a track that cannot be over stated in it’s influence on Black Metal, weird time signatures, vocal effects, intense thrashing and the main riff’s twisted violence, awesome…
(Beyond The) North Winds is pure Black Metal and is both intense and hypnotic, Tom G.Warrior’s vocals and riffs tightly supported by Steiner and Reed. Fainted Eyes contains some weird bass vocalisations and is by all intents and purposes a proto Blackened Death Metal track, very technical and very intense and brutal.
Tears In A Prophets Dream is pure Ambient Black Metal and is so far ahead of its time it is understandable that it was so misunderstood. Necromantical Screams is more easily digested, yet still retains ambient flavors. Horst Müller’s production in 1985 is sublime, clear and epic.
Celtic Frost were one of the first metal bands to actively mix genres, and yet still produce extreme music. Their initial forays into Avant-Garde Black Metal and Ambient Black Metal were astonishing, not to mention their Death Metal traces and Post-Black Metal hints and ideas. They can possibly be the band that started multiple waves through the underground that only surfaced many years later in multiple sub-genres.
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