Various Artists – Mesmerized – A Tribute To Celtic Frost
Various Artists – Mesmerized – A Tribute to Celtic Frost
Time to Kill Records
Release Date: 26/01/24
Running Time: 27:24
Review by Paul Hutchings
7/10
This is an interesting release, Six Italian metal bands, paying tribute to the Swiss legends in an explosive release that brings new takes on some of Celtic Frost’s classic tracks. Curated by Alberto Penzin, who also takes part on this release with CO2, Penzin comments “Celtic Frost was simply the epitome of everything the metal genre had set to demolish. Only Death is real.”
It’s Barbarian who kicks things off with ‘A Kiss or a Whisper’, from 1990’s “Vanity Nemesis”. A band whose saying is “heavy metal is the whip, and you bleed” probably don’t need too much embellishment but they bring a solid version to the party. Bunker 66 on the other hand go brave, tackling ‘Juices Like Wine’ from the rightly damned Cold Lake album. Described as an evil power trio, these lads were unlikely to have been in long trousers when Cold Lake was released, and they bring an earthy feel to possibly the most salvageable song on the Tom G Warrior’s most despises.
‘I Won’t Dance’ from the band’s “Into the Pandemonium” album gets a turbo boost. Thrashier than you’ve ever heard it before, Camera Obscura Two [CO2] is an extreme project featuring Alberto Penzin [ex-Schizo]. Does this type of blasting power work on a track designed to be played much slower? I’m not sure. Rome’s Doomraiser’s ‘Procreation of the Wicked’ certainly changes the style once more, ebbing into The Cult/Type O Negative country for parts of the iconic track, a blend of gothic misery and thick riffage. It gets very sludgy towards the end, unsurprising for a band who have supported the likes of Eletric Wizard, Reverend Bizarre and Orange Goblin.
That leaves the duo of Kryptonomicon, whose old school death metal style is well suited to the high pace of ‘Morbid Tales’, whilst Italian legends Necrodeath make sure that this short release ends on a high with a savage version of Necromantical Screams from the seminal “To Mega Therion”.
Is this an EP/album worth listening to? Most definitely. If you love Celtic Frost, then this is a genuine homage by six extreme bands. You may choose to search out more by them. Which can only be a good thing. Iff not, it’ll inspire you to reach for that battered copy of “Into the Pandemonium” once again…and that can’t be bad.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Barbarian – A Kiss or a Whisper
02. Bunker 66 – Juices Like Wine
03. CO2 – I Won’t Dance
04. Doomraiser – Procreation of the Wicked
05. Kryptonomicon – Morbid Tales
06. Necrodeath – Necromantical Screams
LINKS:
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