"The album jacket illustration is from a Bosch painting and there is a Baudelaire poem (The Sorrows of the Moon) set to tremello strings with a recitative by a Chanteuse - in addition to a superb cover of Mexican Radio. The influence of Rimbaud and Baudelaire is blatantly obvious in this album - its refreshing to hear this, since I get tired of all the obvious rips from Poe and Lovecraft in American and British Metal.At times, T.G. Warrior's lyrics are rather heavy handed, but they are far more orginal than any of his British or American counterparts; If only he had been more technically accomplished with the guitar at that point, then Celtic Frost would have been able to rival Blue Oyster Cult's early album's in their Dark Gestalt"
A CLASSIC NEVER SOUNDED BETTER
devil-boy | CANADA | 03/23/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There's not much that can be said about this classic album. Still, to blame for inspiring both the entire black and death metal scene (Who do you think is to blame for DARKTHRONE, EMPEROR, OBITUARY and countless others, but I digress). Anyway, I traded in my old beloved copies for the new re-masters and man does it ever sound good. The sound has been beefed up and you get a sense of what the band wanted when they were recording this. New life has been breathed into this timeless classic. Yes, it is worth picking up all the others."
A Celtic Frost Classic
Phlegmak | 05/12/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've had "Into the Pandamonium" for quite some time now, and can't say that I'll ever tire from it. This was and is one classic groundbreaking metal album! I'm very picky when it comes to listening to metal, but this one fills all of my requirements. This album has a variety of everything. "Inner Sanctum" is pure Celtic Frost at its heaviest on the album. Their cover of Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio", is a cool album opener. Tom G. Warrior pulls a vocal surprise which I happened to like on "Mesmerized." There is a lot of experimentation on this album. The metal mixed with classical music songs "Oriental Masquerade," and "Rex Irae (Requiem)" are both great. There's even a song with a woman speaking French on it mixed with classical instrumentation. Plenty of surprises on this heavy metal classic album."
The best of Celtic Frost
Phlegmak | Edison, NJ United States | 01/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is AWESOME. It's a classic. This album is *unique* among metal. I have found music like this nowhere else, not even among Celtic Frost's other albums.
The singing on this album is the only thing that took some time for me to warm up to. Warrior sings a lot with a clean voice that sounds like moaning. He also uses a scratchy throat voice a lot. Also, there is a female operatic singer on many songs.
I recommend it for basically any metal fan. Girls even like some of the songs on this album, specifically "I Won't Dance".
I'll give a quick rundown.
1. Mexican Radio
Cover of Wall of Voodoo's song. This is a dumb song, but Celtic Frost does it ok.
2. Mesmerized
AWESOME.
3. Inner Sanctum
Good.
4. Tristesses de la Lune
Stupid. I don't see the point. It's a French singer with French lyrics and a violin? or some other string instrument.
5. Babylon Fell
Good.
6. Caress into Oblivion
Good. The beginning of the song is bass with the chant singing from the beginning of the movie The Exorcist. It works spectacularly.
7. One in Their Pride [Porthhole Mix]
Horrible. I hate it. Stupid programmed drums with heavy bass. This shouldn't be on this album. Or any other.
8. I Won't Dance (The Elders Orient)
AWESOME.
9. Sorrows of the Moon
AWESOME.
10. Rex Irae [Requiem]
AWESOME. This is my favorite, and it has a definite heavy, evil sound to it. Oh, it fills my heart with blood.