If I were to have to pick a top five bands of all-time, as tough as it might be to narrow down, I know that Celtic Frost would make that list. Not only are they the godfathers of black and death metal who left an indeliable mark on the exploding aggressive US metal scene, but they abolutely slay. There is so little filler material that each album feels like an express train roaring through your brain in the best possible way.
Celtic Frost evolved from the seminal garage death metal band Hellhammer and while they got much better at playing and arranging their material, they kept a rawness sorely lacking in the late NWOBHM scene. Their recordings from their early years are clean and raw and dark. The vocals are unique, certainly for the time, and have Tom growling and uttering gutteral heys. ows and ughs, which do so much more than you would think to puncuate the music.
'Dethroned Emperor' is by far one of my favorite tracks here and may be my favorite Celtic Frost song period. It's got a deep, driving riff and a great breakdown section.
As 1985 was happening, the US scene was in a full on thrash love affair, with speed and dexterity being paramount, but Celtic Frost stayed slow and plodding - more Sabbath than Saxon in their speed. Their dedication to that very distinct detuned, overdriven, heavy sound laced with so much aggression is what makes the first five Celtic Frost records so impressive and its ramped up to its fullest here.
This EP came out shortly after the Morbid Tales mini-LP and has subsequently been added to the CD versions of Morbid Tales - so you may have been listening to this EP and not known it! It's also got some of the best cover art of the 1980's by far.
This EP is still available on CD with Morbid Tales and an easy find and a must own. Seriously. Go by it. Now.
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