In order to be outstanding amidst one's peers, they need not explicitly seek to be the most polarizing or unique of the bunch. Rather, having a distinct and clear vision, whether derivative of other bodies of work or not, and being able to execute it to its fully realized potential, is the deciding factor in what makes a work of art truly "good", in my opinion - uniqueness can often be a byproduct of this creative honesty. That's the best segue into a monolith of an early extreme metal classic like Celtic Frost's seminal debut EP/album I can think of, because, bar none, I take this to be the greatest piece of proto-black/death metal of the entire first wave movement, wielding a punishing atmosphere, an intriguing sense of esotericism, and sick fucking extreme metal riffs all as colors on a palette of unparalleled classiness. It's that classiness that makes this album feel entirely timeless and not even remotely dated to this day - and this is coming from someone who regards Hell Awaits, Seven Churches, and Pleasure to Kill as untouchable essentials of early extreme metal as well. Something about early Celtic Frost, though, feels darker and more solemn than the works of their boundary-pushing contemporaries, while retaining the overall crudeness, and it's not just because of abstract works of art like "Danse Macabre" and "Tears in a Prophet's Dream."
The latter point is evident from the very beginning of "Into the Crypts of Rays" wherein the band's riff structures and progressions present themselves as ever so slightly more involved and metallic than they were on the Satanic Rites demo released under the band's previous moniker, Hellhammer. This makes for a song that may superficially appear to be, but most certainly is anything but, a standard 80's extreme metal rager. The repetition of the chunky, bludgeoning riffs (which has influenced Obituary-type death metal bands to a larger extent than most second wave black metal bands excluding Darkthrone) met with Tom Warrior's proto-death growls makes for the most intense music yet conceived in 1984, and compositionally and tonally, still some of the most intense you can listen to. "Visions of Mortality" and the now standard song which wasn't on the original EP "Dethroned Emperor" are the perfect balance of crude thrash, doomy oppression, and mid-paced brooding. I cannot stress enough how well these songs embody driving, mid-paced, menacing aggression, counterbalancing the chug-heavy fare which serves as the marrow of the substantial caveman riffs with power chord crunches that do not offer any melody but do offer intriguing progressions which lend memorability and sullen catchiness to the music.
Basically, this is the template for crude, dark extreme metal riffs, neither fast nor slow, and it's the reason why bands like Obituary, Bolt Thrower, Morta Skuld, Asphyx, or Benediction are so successful at delivering mid-paced devastation. Speaking of such OSDM heroes, you can also hear the influence Celtic Frost's faster compositions on this album like the title track or "Nocturnal Fear", as well as parts of "Return to the Eve", had; the instruments charge forward relentlessly like a freight train, as songs like "Back to One" by Obituary, "Dying Remains" by Morta Skuld, and "Embers" by Bolt Thrower do in their intro sequences, and the vocals are like an additional spiked battering ram on the front of this freight train. Indeed, Celtic Frost can be pointed to for inspiring the tendency of later extreme bands to use their harsh vocals as an additional instrument (for example, with bands like Incantation, you get the sense that a lot of the atmosphere comes from those low, "cavernous vocals", just as much as the guitars), yet the above mentioned slower tracks still have a Sabbathy element of singing with the main riff. The latter point is important to note because it serves to strengthen the argument that with these dynamics, Celtic Frost deliver the blueprint for tastefully dark extreme metal - not going so far as to abandon traditional heavy metal, but still pushing the envelope considerably, both with their compositions and the atmosphere they evoke.
Lastly, I must admit my shortcomings in writing this review, and a shortcoming that I perceive most of my peers have when discussing bands like Celtic Frost. I, a tasteless, narrow-minded, and dumb metalhead view this album as an intense, loud, crude, badass extreme metal classic that I enjoy immensely on a sonic level. Yet it is so much more than metal, and I cannot stress this enough. Celtic Frost dealt in esotericism and abstract art and that is something anyone needs to understand before approaching their music as just another set of metal classics. I fail here because I do not have an appreciation for this esotericism that goes beyond acknowledging its presence and finding it fucking badass and unique. It's... hard to explain, but the point is I'm not well-versed enough on the influences (likely literature or occult mythology) these guys had outside of music to really grasp the transcendent art they offer on Morbid Tales, so I'll just keep banging my head to it.
Promo video:
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