Celtic Frost Album: “Parched with Thirst Am I ”

Celtic Frost were highly influential on all forms of death and black metal. They dabbled in everything: hyperspeed thrash, slow doom, pounding death, they even took a stab at glam rock (which ended up costing them most of their hardcore audience). Bandleader Thomas G. Warrior is often credited with inventing the death growl, and was a pioneer of the vacuum-cleaner death riff. One of the weirdest 80s metal bands, they also threw in some funk grooves here and there, female vocals over classical music, and an odd cover of new wave hit "Mexican Radio". This is a compilation that samples tracks from all their albums, plus some unreleased stuff and a few newly recorded tracks. This is inconsistent stuff, good riffs mashing with bad riffs, interesting lyrics bellowed by bad singing, but the band gets credit for originality, and this album is varied enough to be pretty enjoyable.

I was a big fan of Into the Pandemonium, unlike most people who are into their earlier material. I never heard the Cold Lake album, but the songs on this compilation that are from the Cold Lake record aren't that bad. I think they're re recorded. The music on this CD is heavy and it all sounds like the Celtic Frost I remember. I think if you're a fan of the band and you don't mind having a few songs you may already own, then you should get this CD.

As I listen to this CD as I write this, I must say the first time I heard this I was disappointed. Hearing only "Morbid Tales" and "Cold Lake" (which I liked, call me a poseur, I really dont care), My expectations were very high. This CD is not a greatest hits compilation. as "washingmouth" or whatever is name is had on here before he edited it, actually, Celtic Frost never had any "hits". This CD opens and closes with (at that time) new material which is somewhat boring. The remakes of the cold lake songs make me wonder why they just didnt use the original tracks, and 'return to the eve' is better on "Morbid Tales", than this sloppy take used here. "Mexican radio" is another one, that is awful on here, unlistenable really, but on the CD it originally appeared on, that version ruled. Why did they re-record it? There are songs that didnt make this Cd that should have, BUT overall, the CD has some great stuff. It just coulda shoulda have been better, unfortunately, but then again, so coulda woulda shoulda have been the presidency of Obama if he would have just laid off the extremist stuff.. yea well.

cherry orchards, idols of chagrin,downtown hanoi, and others should not be included in this best of. that's why it's called a best of, not worst of. mexican radio is a lame cover tune. return to the eve and the usurper are the best on this album. they needed to include dethroned emperor, visual aggression, morbid tales, and procreation of the wicked. inner sanctum from into the pandemonium should have been included also. what the f**k this album overall is a f**king disgrace. buy morbid tales, to mega therion, and the more experimental, but still good into the pandemonium. even vanity/nemesis isn't all that bad either, but PLEASE, do not spend your hard earned cash on this pathetic so called best of album. it does not represent the band well.