Rocktrospectiva: The Influential "To Mega Therion" Turns 40

Released in October 1985 "To Mega Therion" was the second studio album by Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost, "To Mega Therion" translates to the great beast in Greek. It is an expression found in the Bible but was also a nickname used by Aleister Crowley. The album spawned two singles "Circle Of Tyrants" & "Necromantical Screams". The album was highly influential on death metal and black metal, and some consider it to be one of the best albums of the 1980s. The cover artwork is a painting by H. R. Giger titled Satan I. 

The album was a landmark in the genre, across the record the listener could noticed french horns, droning keyboards, and shifting song structures that assured each and the most devoted metal fan had never heard anything quite like it, later, the horn sections on the album has been described as Wagnerian. 

The album opened with the bombstic "Innocence And Wrath", with the appropriate note – Wagnerian horn lines, booming drums, and a slow crunch toward apocalypse. ... With that setting the tone, it is into the maddeningly wild and woolly Celtic Frost universe full bore, Warrior roaring out his vocals with glee and a wicked smile while never resorting to self-parodic castrato wails. Next "The Usurper" was a worth display of Warrior's knack around brute power and unexpectedly memorable riffs. other prime cuts include "Circle of the Tyrants", "Dawn of Megiddo", "Tears in a Prophet's Dream", "Eternal Summer" and "Necromantical Screams". this was death metal at its finest.

The album reflected everywhere Black, Death and Trash Metal of a tremendous caliber to create a particular single sound, there you have other tracks such as "Dawn Of Megiddo", "Circle Of Tyrants" and "The Usurper" who are totally hymn on its own, even the most dense "Eternal Summer" from its dense beginning and then little by little the song goes speeder, even the mysterious "Tears In A Prophet's Dream" surrounded by a collect of rare and spooky sounds the really scared the shit out of every listener back in the day. 

Until now, the album has been a major influence on the then-developing death metal and black metal genres, a landmark and the most consistent example of early death metal that exists.

 

To Mega Therion Track List: 

 

1. Innoncen And Wrath

2. The Usurper 

3. Jewel Throne 

4. Dawn Of Megiddo

5. Eternal Summer

6. Circle Of The Tyrants

7. (Beyond the) North Winds

8. Fainted Eyes

9. Tears In A Prophet's Dream 

10. Necromantical Screams