Ultra-rare and out of print picture disc release on Earmark Records of Celtic Frost's seminal avant-thrash classic Into The Pandemonium, the album that had thousands of heshers raising their fists towards the skies and screaming "What the fuck?" in a single global chorus of confusion back in 1987. We only have a couple of these in stock, then that's it.

An indisputable avant-thrash classic, Celtic Frost's 1987 album Into The Pandemonium followed up To Mega Therion with a surreal,

unpredictable album that blew minds when it came out. Who would have guessed that these guys would have followed the classic death metal of their debut with

an album that would combine unlikely covers, industrial-laced breakbeats, gothy thrash jams with backing female R&B vocals, and orchestral strings and sultry

female French singing? The band had the sheer audacity to open the album with a cover, Wall Of Voodoo's new wave hit "Mexican Radio", but somehow it

works, as do all of the other weird elements that Celtic Frost brandishes on Into The Pandemonium. Tom G. Warrior also unveils his newly-

found singing style, a gothy, weepy croon which he alternates with his more aggressive death grunts. "Mesmerized" uses his singing to great effect as it

weaves a sorrowful love song; "Rex Irae (Requiem)" brings together brutal thrash metal riffage, operatic backing vocals, eerie orchestral strings, and french

horns. And then there is "One In Their Pride", the one track on Into The Pandemonium that seems to get a lot of metalheads in a huff - probably

doesn't help that it appears on this reissue in two different versions. A heavy, drum-machine bangin' dub/industrial breakbeat mix, "One In Their Pride"

seems so strange appearing halfway through the album, but when you look at the whole picture and see how it fits in Frost's surrealistic vision of 80's

apocalypse, it makes total sense. "I Won't Dance" is one of my favorite Celtic Frost jams ever, a mid-paced thrasher with those aforementioned backing R&B

vocals that ends up sounding like a crushing metallic version of Sisters of Mercy. In between all of the weirdness, there are some straightforward rippers;

"Inner Sanctum" and "Babylon Fell" both bring the To Mega Therion style deathcrush in top form.