Celtic Frost "To Mega Therion (2017 Reissue, Remastered, Digibook, Germany, Noise Records, NOISECD011)"

To Mega Therion (meaning the great beast in Greek) is the second studio album by Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost, released on 27 October 1985 by Noise Records. The cover artwork is a painting by H. R. Giger entitled Satan I. The album was a major influence on the then-developing death metal and black metal genres.

Ned Raggett in his review for AllMusic writes, "The bombastic 'Innocence and Wrath' starts To Mega Therion off on just the appropriate note -- Wagnerian horn lines, booming drums, and a slow crunch toward apocalypse. [...] With that setting the tone, it's 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. 'The Usurper' alone is worth the price of admission, an awesome display of Warrior's knack around brute power and unexpectedly memorable riffs." According to Raggett, "other prime cuts" include "Circle of the Tyrants", "Dawn of Megiddo", "Tears in a Prophet's Dream", "Eternal Summer" and "Necromantical Screams". Raggett concludes his review by stating that the album "is and remains death metal at its finest". Canadian journalist Martin Popoff considers the album "a black metal landmark" and "the most consistent example of early death metal that exist". He remarks how "the band had decided to delve more unto the extreme" and praised Tom Warrior's "surprisingly accomplished" lyrics and the mix of death, black and doom metal with a pinch of ambient music.

Track listing

All songs written by Tom G. Warrior, except where noted.

1. Innocence and Wrath 01:02   
2. The Usurper 03:27   
3. Jewel Throne 04:06
4. Dawn of Megiddo 05:47   
5. Eternal Summer 04:31  
6. Circle of the Tyrants 04:38
7. (Beyond the) North Winds 03:08  
8. Fainted Eyes 05:09  
9. Tears in a Prophet's Dream 02:33
10. Necromantical Screams 06:02
11. Circle of the Tyrants (Emperor's Return EP) 04:27
12. Visual Aggression (Emperor's Return EP) 04:11   
13. Suicidal Winds (Emperor's Return EP) 04:36
14. Journey into Fear (Emperor's Return EP recording sessions) 03:57  
15. Visual Aggression (1988 remix) 04:13  
16. Return to the Eve (1985 studio jam) 04:06  

Time:  01:05:53  

Cover Artwork: H. R. Giger - "Satan I", 1977.

"To Mega Therion" is Greek for "the great beast". It was one of Aleister Crowley's "magical names".

Tracks 2, 3, & 16 are the versions from the Tragic Serenades EP. Tracks 2 & 3 are partly re-recorded and remixed with new bass lines by Martin E. Ain. Track 16 is completely re-recorded.

- Official Video : Circle Of The Tyrants

Recording information:

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Casablanca Studio, Berlin, 14-28 September 1985.

Remastered at Woodshed Studio in Landshut, Germany in March 2016.

Horst Müller – producer, engineer, mixing

Rick Lights – assistant engineer

Karl Walterbach – executive producer