Celtic Frost - Into the Pandemonium

[ldj]

Just having a few beers listening to this album. When people talk about a controversial Celtic Frost album 9 times out of 10 the conversation is about Cold Lake but I can imagine Into the Pandemonium was quite controversial on release too.

Opening with Mexican Radio was a ballsy move and from then you can tell it's going to be quite a departure from To Mega Therion, even though it's a cover it almost sounds like the sort of thing Type O Negative were doing years later. Then you have Mesmerised which sounds like it could have had a bit of an influence on Nirvana.

"Tristesses de la Lune" I don't even know  .

There's one or two tracks like Inner Sanctum and Babylon Fell which are a bit more 'classic' Celtic Frost.

I'm not sure what to make of the album but it's quite ahead of it's time as it sounds like it would have fit right in with Type O, Paradise Lost, MDB etc, had it been released around 1995.

Thoughts?

[Eoin McLove]

I bought it years ago and hated it. Mexican Radio is just atrocious.  I must give it another go and see if I still think it's crap.

[Weltenfeind]

A couple of good songs then a lot of meh. Bought the Noise reissue last year thinking I'd give it another go but its just not for me. Spinning it there now and I had to put "To Mega Therion" on instead!

[Juggz]

it's quite ahead of it's time

That about sums it up. It's an amazing album, when you consider it came only three years after Apocalyptic Raids was released. Their rate of progression was incredible, not just that they had moved on so much from the Hellhammer sound, but that they were moving in so many different directions at the same time 

It's hard work, as a result. It's all over the place, but it has the embryonic sounds of a lot of genres which would emerge years later. I wasn't aware of the shit going on between them and Karl Walterbach. You'd think that not having a pot to piss in might have sent them in a more commercial or straightforward direction but that they went the other way is eternally to their credit. Had they had the money and time to fully realise what they were attempting to do with this album, it could have been more cohesive or even further out. We will never know.

I got into them after this was released but To Mega Therion was the first thing I heard from them after a mate loaned me the tape. I bought Morbid Tales a while later and then Cold Lake came out - which I still like - and it was only then that I head this one. At that stage, I figured anything goes with them, so it's all part of the fun with this band.

[Angel of Debt]

Often wondered how it must have been received at the time, but it's weirdness always appealed to me.
Production is shite, vocals are all over the place but it works. Tracks like Mexican Radio and I wont dance always jumped out of the speakers to me.

Also remember my old housemate laughing his ass off when he heard this album.

[Mower Liberation Front]

Guy I knew at school hated it so much, he sold me the vinyl a few months after it came out for 2 pounds. Loved it.
Still my favourite Frost album.

[Slaughterday]

Astoundingly shit album. Another entry on the list of bands who entered the cycle of

Early vicious and excellent albums -> Terrible experimental phase -> Comeback album -> moneymaking tour(s) ignoring all the unpopular albums

[Killchain]

It's a good album. The only thing annoying about it is the female vocals.

[stevie-0]

.

[Ducky]

Wall of Voodoo are a fucking amazing band and that cover of Mexican Radio is an atrocity.

[O Drighes]

Funny to see this thread exactly after putting "Morbid Tales" on. The last Celtic Frost album was called "To Mega Therion", except for the "Tragic Serenades" EP, everything after that is pure shite.

[Don Gately]

This was pretty widely slated when it came out. Metal Hammer especially ripped it apart, but that made me more interested in it. Personally I like it and did then too.

[Floss]

Its an interesting album for sure. As someone pointed out the speed of their evolution around then was crazy. Yes I prefer the early greats (Morbid tale, Emperors return, Mega Therion)  but ITP is a great record too - just not as good as the earlier ones. Its far more varied than Mega Therion (which can get a little monotonous - but how can you not love it....) ... I always loved Inner Sanctum and especially Mesmerised. (which is a very odd song for me...) but theres a few tracks on it I could do with out (one in their pride comes to mind). The use of samplers back then in metal was pretty unique.

Although its not the best written book, Fischer's book Are You Morbid documents that time pretty well...  & yes they became pretty dull after that (though Monothesist was so far above my expectations... not a Tryptykon fan really though personally...

[Juggz]

Monotheist is a work of art, it's incredible. I had no idea what to expect when they got back together. Comeback albums are seldom worth the trouble but I think it's up there with their best.

[John Kimble]

Was absolutely horrified the first time I played this and heard Mexican Radio. Not a particularly great cover by any means, but as an opening track...Jesus wept!! Completely put me off the rest of the album but I appreciate it a bit more now. That said, far from their best. And yes, Monotheist is a great album. Particularly impressive given that comeback albums are rarely that compelling.