Celtic Frost - "Into The Pandemonium", 1987

It is somewhat baffling to find out that "Into the Pandemonium" is still, to this day, considered a controversial record by many Celtic Frost listeners; one would think that the record was universally accepted for its avantgarde-ish nature by now, but it seems like that isn't the case, more often than not, and while - to a certain degree - can understand why the older fanbase might still be embittered by it, it's even more baffling to realize that the majority of the younger metalheads, who discovered Celtic Frost in the 2000s, actually largely prefer "Monotheist" (2006). 

I discovered the record shortly after the band split up in the early 90s, and it was my introduction to the Frost; I picked up a secondhand, first-press European gatefold vinyl in a small metal shop in my city, and that's still my favorite version of the album; the high-profile 80s production fits the vinyl's sound perfectly, and it's still to this day one of the best-sounding vinyls I own. Regardless of the format, though, the album's production is ace and a step up from the reverb-fest of "To Mega Therion", with every instrument clearly audible in the mix, even on the most layered tracks; the drums in particular sound fantastic, Tom Warrior's guitar tone is as iconic as ever, and the returning Martin Eric Ain lays down some inventive bass lines. The album's sleeve is also classy, including details from a Hieronymus Bosch painting on the cover, as well as "Tombworld" by Les Edwards when opening the gatefold LP, an astounding piece of art that aroused my imagination when I was a teenager, getting lost in it while listening to the record.

But let's get to the music. While Tom Warrior and co. obviously wanted to experiment and to create something out of the ordinary, they didn't completely forget their roots here; thrashing mid-tempos and groovy bangers such as "Inner Sanctum", "Babylon Fell," and "Caress into Oblivion" (even if the latter features tribal percussions and a Middle Eastern feel to it) are as heavy as anything on "To Mega Therion", and some elements that are in the spotlight here were already introduced on that album, on tracks such as "Innocence and Wrath" or "Necromantical Screams". This said, Frost pushed the envelope further on "Into the Pandemonium", with a full-on orchestra playing along with the band on the gothic metal opus "Rex Irae (Requiem)", a 6-minute epic that sees a tormented Warrior dueting with a soprano and an array of timpani and strings; we can safely say that the song - as well as the short instrumental "outro" that follows, "Oriental Masquerade" - laid the groundwork for what bands like Therion will do years later, and in general the whole record greatly influenced the gothic/doom metal scene that flourished in the early to mid-90s. 

The female vocals - who also appear on the classical-sounding "Tristesses de la Lune" on some of the album's versions - aren't the only element akin to gothic music; Tom's peculiar clean vocals on several songs consist of a pained moaning reminiscent of some early 80s dark/goth bands such as Christian Death, and they seem to be one of the main bones of contention with the disgruntled fans. While I admit they might come off as a tad weird at times, I don't find them particularly annoying, and they fit the more atmospheric mood of the tracks where they're featured, especially on "Sorrows of the Moon", "Caress into Oblivion," and "Mesmerized", the latter also being one of the standout tracks on the album and a classic in its very own. 

More rocking tunes, such as the unexpected opener "Mexican Radio" (a twisted take on the hit single by the new wave band Wall of Voodoo) and the irresistible "I Won't Dance", a groovy number even featuring a female soul vocalist on the chorus, also challenged the thrash metal purists of the times, while the electronic instrumental "One in Their Pride", made with a drum machine and some samples, was an outright act of weirdness but frankly a little out of context.

On a side note, it's worth mentioning that the fruitful sessions also spawned a couple of B-sides that didn't appear on the original record (but resurfaced on the reissues), a really weird Dean Martin cover version (!), and the great "The Inevitable Factor", a song that would have fit within the album's tracklist seamlessly, although probably a bit too similar to the rest of the material. 

"Into the Pandemonium" was a partial departure from the previous Celtic Frost records, but it retained the band's core identity and just projected the trio into the future with its surge of creativity and clever experimentation. Its forward-thinking nature wasn't met with much success back then, and basically contributed to the temporary demise of the band, before Warrior unwisely decided to keep going and released the extremely questionable "Cold Lake", as well as "Vanity / Nemesis", the latter a typical case of too little, too late, although a pretty underrated opus in itself. But these are other Celtic Frost stories, to be addressed some other time...

While tastes are always subjective, disliking "Into the Pandemonium" means, in a way, that one didn't really understand the very nature of Celtic Frost, a band that was built on the idea of breaking boundaries to create something grandiose and detached from what the other bands were doing. Considering the short lifespan of its first incarnation, it's impressive how much the Swiss pioneers managed to evolve, and this album should have been the coronation of the band's efforts and maybe its introduction into the big league; through stranger aeons, the Frost, many years later, still managed to achieve the success it originally deserved, although if this was to remain the band's last record, I would have been fine with it. 

LISTEN: Spotify