dB HoF 123

To Mega Therion

Label: Noise
Release date: October 27, 1985

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To Mega Therion is Greek for “The Great Beast.” It’s a pseudonym for the Antichrist in the Book of Revelation and a nickname for every metal musician’s favorite mystic, Aleister Crowley. And it’s the very fitting title for Celtic Frost’s first real full-length album.

When Celtic Frost finished their breakthrough Morbid Tales EP in 1984, co-founders Tom Gabriel Fischer and Martin Ain immediately considered bigger aspirations. Morbid Tales let them distance themselves from Hellhammer—then very much a sore spot for the pair—and showed that two outcasts from farm villages could deliver on their promise to become a much better band. But what if Celtic Frost could take it a step further and write an album that was not only competitive with the best thrash metal coming from the United States, but also radically reimagined what was possible with heavy music? What if they incorporated classical music and vocals and wrote songs that deserved to be paired with art by famed Swiss surrealist H.R. Giger? What if their music could finally match their vision? It seemed impossible, but Fischer and Ain had already done so much with little more than their dreams.

You know by now that our eleventh annual MLB Preview ran in the May issue. We got six extreme musicians to preview all six divisions, and cherry-on-topped that with an exclusive Call & Response from Oakland A’s closer/resident metalhead Sean Doolittle. In honor of Opening Day (hopefully you’re not at work), here are a couple additional team previews….

Lancer’s self-titled debut garnered rave reviews when it crushed the competition in 2013. To years later, the Arvika-based quintet have returned with Second Storm. While most bands are jacking old-school heavy metal-isms without much sense of purpose, the Swedes in Lancer have made it point to pull the finer points of traditional German heavy metal–Helloween,…

To Mega Therion is Greek for “The Great Beast.” It’s a pseudonym for the Antichrist in the Book of Revelation and a nickname for every metal musician’s favorite mystic, Aleister Crowley. And it’s the very fitting title for Celtic Frost’s first real full-length album.

Like the Grinch, Gremlins or Krampus, they love ruining Christmas. First it was January 2012’s “Make a Joyful Noise.” Then it was January 2013’s “Merry Chrysmeth.” But the third time is truly the harm (even if it’s out of season), as Agoraphobic Nosebleed return to the Decibel Flexi Series with “The Honkey Reduction EP” in…

In 2009, we heard Tribulation’s savage call, inviting them to take part in our New Wave of Old-School Death Metal piece. Turns out the Swedes, who were also paying bills in Enforcer, didn’t have the time to commit right away. Needless to say, long after the story was submitted Adam Zaars, guitarist, felt compelled to…

Monday is MLB Opening Day, and your friends at Decibel are looking forward to capping off our teams’ inevitable afternoon losses with something actually awesome:  Live Nation and Yahoo! are teaming up to broadcast a live stream of At the Gates’ headlining set from the Chicago stop of the 2015 Decibel Tour. Stay up late with the…

David ‘Ravengarde’ Sylvester and Nordavind Records have teamed up to release a fresh approach to epic heavy music with a new Beautality album entitled Einfallen: A Tale ov Torment & Triumph.  The UK-based band thrusts all manner of screeching, fist-pounding, air-drumming metal styles into their propulsive, cinematically broad storytelling.  The album boasts six mighty tracks,…

Meek is Murder formed after ex-Red Chord axe slinger, Mike Keller, probably having had it with  trying to figure when, if ever, bassist and band mate Greg Weeks was ever being serious about anything, departed from the Boston bruisers to nurse his internal head wounds in peace. While none of this can be confirmed, what ended up coming…

Lame breaking news about our favorite death/doom supergroup Vallenfyre, the opening act of the 2015 Decibel Magazine Tour. Frontman Gregor Mackintosh tore ligaments in his knee onstage two nights ago, which will result in the band missing this evening’s show in Salt Lake City. Silver lining: the band is on track to rejoin the tour…