Into the Pandemonium

The rehearsals for the album started during the second half of 1986.{{cite book|last=Fischer|first=Thomas Gabriel|title=Are You Morbid? Into the Pandemonium of Celtic Frost|date=2000|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing Limited|location=London|isbn=1860743102|page=177}} The band early on discarded the working titles Silent Excess and Monumentum in favor of the familiar Into the Pandemonium.{{cite book|last=Fischer|first=Thomas Gabriel|title=Are You Morbid? Into the Pandemonium of Celtic Frost|date=2000|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing Limited|location=London|isbn=1860743102|page=176}}

Noise label boss Karl-Ulrich Walterbach "didn't get" Celtic Frost's new material,{{cite book|last=Gehlke|first=David E.|title=Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records|date=2017|publisher=Deliberation Press|location=United States|isbn=9780692637135|page=246}} and threatened multiple times to defund the recording if they didn't play run-on-the-mill thrash metal.{{cite book|last=Gehlke|first=David E.|title=Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records|date=2017|publisher=Deliberation Press|location=United States|isbn=9780692637135|page=247}} This estrangement with the band's left-field approach continued after the album's release. During Pandemonium's listening party at SPV's offices Walterbach approached Warrior and asked, "Why don't you try to sound more like Exodus or Slayer?" Walterbach's sarcasm infuriated Frost's main composer.{{cite book|last=Gehlke|first=David E.|title=Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records|date=2017|publisher=Deliberation Press|location=United States|isbn=9780692637135|page=249}}

The band had in mind the bold objective to surpass all their previous body of work.{{cite book|last=Fischer|first=Thomas Gabriel|title=Are You Morbid? Into the Pandemonium of Celtic Frost|date=2000|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing Limited|location=London|isbn=1860743102|page=177}} The push came largely from being blown away by the freshness of new wave. Every newly discovered record presented other musical vistas, a neverending supply of novel and original ideas. With this broadening of horizons, Celtic Frost were adamant that no set of rules would smother their creativity—especially those of extreme metal. "We hated these unwritten limitations in the metal scene", Warrior reminisced.{{cite web |url=https://www.kerrang.com/celtic-frost-interview-tom-gabriel-fischer-morbid-tales-to-mega-therion-into-the-pandemonium-h-r-giger-danse-macabre |last=Ruskell |first= Nick|title=Celtic Frost: "We hated these unwritten limitations in the metal scene… Music should be adventurous" |work=Kerrang! |date=22 October 2022 |access-date=5 May 2024}} Chuck Eddy deems the group to be "avant-gardy opportunists" who—having recognised that both disco and heavy metal's respective percussion elements "in fact makes the phyla kissing cousins"—effectively "go disco" on the record with the presence of specifically rhythm-based songs.{{cite book |last1=Eddy |first1=Chuck |title=Stairway to Hell: The 500 Best Heavy Metal Albums in the Universe |date=1991 |publisher=Harmony Books |location=New York |isbn=0517575418 |page=63}}

Both Warrior and Ain were post-punk devotees, especially of goth acts Bauhaus, Christian Death, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Sisters of Mercy.{{cite web |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/pandemonium-inside-no-limits-album-destroyed-celtic-frost |last=Wiederhorn |first= Jon|title='Into the Pandemonium': Inside "No Limits" Album That "Destroyed" Celtic Frost |work=Revolver Magazine |date=31 May 2019 |access-date=31 May 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de/interview/celtic-frost-2 |last=Willems |first= Steven|title= Celtic Frost |work=Voices From The Darkside |access-date=6 June 2024}} Paradise Lost main composer and guitarist Gregor Mackintosh spotted the Christian Death influence on Warrior's new "whiny" vocal style, used throughout the album. In his opinion, it was "lifted straight" from the late Rozz Williams, especially his singing on Only Theatre of Pain.{{cite web |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/paradise-lost-guitarist-greg-mackintosh-my-8-favourite-goth-albums |last=Rees |first= Adam|title=Paradise Lost guitarist Greg Mackintosh: My 8 favourite goth albums |work=Decibel Magazine |date=22 April 2020 |access-date=3 June 2024}}

One particularly controversial portion of the album was the dance-oriented "One in Their Pride", a track built around soundbites from NASA's Apollo program. Its use of sampling and drum machines reminded Belgian EBM group Front 242. Dan Lilker, former Anthrax and Nuclear Assault bassist, confessed his enstrangement with this track. Lilker said this enstrangement was generalized throughout the scene at the time. This was an instance where Tom Warrior acknowledged that the band "went too far" on their experiments. In the long run, he considered this track a mistake.{{cite book|last=Christie|first=Ian|title=Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal|date=2003|edition=First|publisher=Harper Entertainment|location=London|isbn=006052362X|page=21}}{{cite web|url=https://www.whosampled.com/Celtic-Frost/One-in-Their-Pride/samples/|title=Tracks Sampled in One in Their Pride by Celtic Frost|website=WhoSampled |access-date=1 May 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/celtic-frost-into-the-pandemonium-story-behind-the-album |last=Dome |first= Malcolm|title=Celtic Frost's Into The Pandemonium: the madness and the magic of metal's most visionary album |work=Louder |date=28 August 2020 |access-date=3 June 2024}} Eddy compares "One in Their Pride", with its pared-down bass, to Adrian Sherwood's production work for Tackhead and Keith Le Blanc. "Rex Irae", another rhythmic song, was described by Eddy as "a dub/riff mixture" that is comparable to Chain Gang, Ruts DC and A.R. Kane.

Celtic Frost were always fascinated with the rise and fall of ancient civilizations; their own name stands for this idea. Three songs from Into the Pandemonium—"Babylon Fell", "Caress into Oblivion" and "Rex Irae"—deal with the myths and history of the Babylonians, especially those of king Nebuchadnezzar II and Marduk, god-patron of the city of Babylon, capital of the Persian Empire.{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/celticfrostarchive/photos/a.230998588441555/253077459567001/?type=3 |title=Celtic Frost Archive|work=Facebook |date=31 December 2020 |access-date=25 June 2024}}

"I Won't Dance (The Elders' Orient)" was inspired originally by the Egyptian Book of the Dead.{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/celticfrostarchive/posts/pfbid02APFCGHw1qRoQTSjQJWuPFpdeuuFur6r3PFkhaxwbe3Ayfrrus6c6g1ZwYCDGCz5nl |title=Celtic Frost Archive|work=Facebook |date=5 February 2024 |access-date=25 June 2024}}

19th-century poetry was another source of inspiration for the lyrics. For example, significant portions of "Inner Sanctum" are directly quoted from Emily Brontë poems. Martin Ain discovered these on L'Homme devant la mort ({{cite book |title=The Hour of Our Death |url=https://archive.org/details/hourofourdeath00aris }}) by French historian Philippe Ariès.{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/celticfrostarchive/posts/these-poems-by-emily-bronte-were-the-source-of-the-lyrics-for-the-song-inner-san/211110673763680 |title=Celtic Frost Archive|work=Facebook |date=4 October 2020 |access-date=13 June 2024}} On the other hand, the lyrics to "Tristesses de la lune" are borrowed from the poem of the same name in Charles Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du mal. The lyrics to "Sorrows of the Moon" are an English translation of the same. Moonspell vocalist Fernando Ribeiro discovered Baudelaire through this song.{{cite web |url=https://moonspell.cz/en/2012/08/13/interview-with-fernando-about-duality-of-alpha-noir-and-omega-white |last=Matus |first= Dominik|title=Interview with Fernando about duality of Alpha Noir and Omega White |work=Moonspell - Fansite |date=13 August 2012 |access-date=3 June 2024}}

The cover image is a detail from the right (Hell) panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights, a triptych painted in 1504 by Hieronymus Bosch, part of Madrid's Prado permanent collection. The original idea of using this painting for Into the Pandemonium{{'}}s cover came through Martin Ain.{{cite book|last=Fischer|first=Thomas Gabriel|title=Are You Morbid? Into the Pandemonium of Celtic Frost|date=2000|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing Limited|location=London|isbn=1860743102|page=177}} The LP's inner sleeve was the Les Edwards Tombworld (1980) painting. As to how the band's music can be linked their album art, Tom Warrior explained:{{cite book|last=Fischer|first=Thomas Gabriel|title=Are You Morbid? Into the Pandemonium of Celtic Frost|date=2000|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing Limited|location=London|isbn=1860743102|page=178}}

{{Cquote|To determine what the album will look like helps us to formulate its musical content. It makes it possible to arrange and design our material according to our feelings and interpretation of the paintings. I don't know whether this is easy to understand or not. As the cover art represents the musical content of our albums, so the musical content reflects the mood of the cover.}}

In Warrior's recollection, three quarters into production Celtic Forst were forced, by Noise, to do some dates with Anthrax. If they didn't, the label would cut short the funding for Pandemonium.{{cite book|last=Gehlke|first=David E.|title=Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records|date=2017|publisher=Deliberation Press|location=United States|isbn=9780692637135|page=247}} In his defense, label boss Karl-Ulrich Walterbach stated that he simply offered the tour and never pushed it. He knew the timing wasn't ideal for the band.{{cite book|last=Gehlke|first=David E.|title=Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records|date=2017|publisher=Deliberation Press|location=United States|isbn=9780692637135|page=248}} One of these dates was the 1987 edition of the Aardschokdag, a Dutch annual heavy metal festival. Frost played alongside Anthrax, Metal Church, Crimson Glory, Lȧȧz Rockit and headliners Metallica on February 8.{{cite web |url=https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/celtic-frost?year=1987 |title=Celtic Frost's 1987 Concert History |work=Concert Archives |access-date=25 June 2024}}

After the album's release, American guitarist Ron Marks was invited to join the band, in part to bolster its live sound.{{cite book|last=Gehlke|first=David E.|title=Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records|date=2017|publisher=Deliberation Press|location=United States|isbn=9780692637135|page=248}}

Celtic Frost did a brief English tour on late October, with Kreator and Virus. They then flew to the United States, to be the opening act to the December leg of Anthrax's Among the Living tour.{{cite web |url=https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/celtic-frost?year=1987 |title=Celtic Frost's 1987 Concert History |work=Concert Archives |access-date=25 June 2024}} Frost caught the thrash explosion in the US. In a few months, Anthrax went from playing to 500 people per show to 7,000 or 8,000 every night, without radio play or MTV exposure.{{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/among-the-living-anthrax-look-back-at-their-classic-album-30-years-on |last=Lawson |first= Dom|title=Among The Living: Anthrax look back at their classic album 30 years on |work=Metal Hammer |date=30 January 2017 |access-date=25 June 2024}}

After Into the Pandemonium, Celtic Frost became one of Noise's bestsellers. By the end of the year, the band's third album had sold 100,000 records worldwide. Alongside the 250,000 sold by Running Wild's Under Jolly Roger and the 500,000 sold of Helloween's Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I, 1987 helped usher a new era for the German label. There were a number of factors that aided this turn of events: SPV's European distribution network, RCA's promotional push behind Helloween and an enthusiastic metal press.{{cite book|last=Gehlke|first=David E.|title=Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records|date=2017|publisher=Deliberation Press|location=United States|isbn=9780692637135|page=225}}

Thomas Gabriel Fischer finally performed Celtic Frost's requiem at Roadburn 2019 with Triptykon, along with the Metropole Orkest. Into the Pandemonium{{'}}s "Rex Irae" is the opening part; the third, concluding part—"Winter (Requiem, Chapter Three: Finale)"—can be heard on 2006's Monotheist. The second, long-missing second part ("Grave Eternal") was never officially released until these performances. A full, live rendition of the entire piece has been released.{{cite web |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/triptykon-releases-rex-irae-video-from-requiem-live-at-roadburn-2019-cd-dvd |title=TRIPTYKON Releases 'Rex Irae' Video From 'Requiem (Live At Roadburn 2019)' CD + DVD |work=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |date=15 May 2020 |access-date=19 June 2020}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 =AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/into-the-pandemonium-r3495/review | title = Celtic Frost Into the Pandemonium review | access-date = 24 December 2011 | last = Raggett | first = Ned | work = AllMusic | publisher = Rovi Corporation}}

| rev2 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

| rev2Score = 7/10{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = 1 November 2005 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | isbn = 978-1894959315 | page= 68}}

| noprose = yes

}}

Malcolm Dome called Into the Pandemonium both "metal's most visionary album" and an "avant-garde metal masterpiece". Tom Warrior himself said that it is "the band's most important release".{{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/celtic-frost-into-the-pandemonium-story-behind-the-album |last=Dome |first= Malcolm|title=Celtic Frost's Into The Pandemonium: the madness and the magic of metal's most visionary album |work=Louder |date=28 August 2020 |access-date=3 June 2024}} AllMusic reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia considered Into the Pandemonium "one of the classic extreme metal albums of all time". In 1991, Eddy ranked Into the Pandemonium at number 108 in his list of the 500 best heavy metal albums ever.

Into the Pandemonium had a decisive impact on the emerging gothic metal scene of the 1990s. Paradise Lost collectively held the album in high esteem. "It made [us] what we are", said Mackintosh, "and so many other bands [...] too".{{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-records-that-saw-goth-go-metal-and-vice-versa |last=Hobson |first= Rick|title=The 10 records that saw goth go metal – and vice versa |work=Louder |date=4 November 2021 |access-date=3 June 2024}} Rhythm guitarist Aaron Aedy pointed out that Pandemonium{{'}}s use of orchestration inspired their sophomore album, Gothic.{{cite web |url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2021/03/19/paradise-losts-gothic-turns-30-celebrate-with-our-classic-hall-of-fame-story |last=Koerber |first= Scott|title=Paradise Lost's "Gothic" Turns 30! Celebrate With Our Classic Hall of Fame Story |work=Decibel Magazine |date=19 March 2021 |access-date=3 June 2024}} My Dying Bride's Andrew Craighan revealed that adventurous use of violins on Into the Pandemonium encouraged MDB to do the same. Craighan felt something like "we can do that if they're doing it".{{cite web |url=https://hotmetalmag.com/my-dying-bride-this-mortal-coil |last=Giffin |first= Brian|title=MY DYING BRIDE: This Mortal Coil (2024) |work=Hot Metal |date=20 April 2024 |access-date=5 July 2024}} Moonspell's Ribeiro found Pandemonium "groundbreaking and inspiring". He preferred Celtic Frost's unorthodox approach to heavy metal "than to be bound to an unwritten book of Underground laws to please others instead of our artistic hunger".{{cite web |url=https://moonspell.cz/en/2012/08/13/interview-with-fernando-about-duality-of-alpha-noir-and-omega-white |last=Matus |first= Dominik|title=Interview with Fernando about duality of Alpha Noir and Omega White |work=Moonspell - Fansite |date=13 August 2012 |access-date=3 June 2024}} This particular record made them deepen the connection with their Middle Eastern and African musical heritage, a big part of the folk music from their native Portugal.{{cite web |url=https://metalbite.com/interviews/2708/moonspell-with-fernando-ribeiro-vocals |author=Michael |title=Interview: Moonspell with Fernando Ribeiro (vocals) |work=MetalBite |date=23 May 2024 |access-date=3 June 2024}}

Warrior's "goth" crooning on Pandemonium also prove influential to gothic metal pioneers. Paradise Lost singer Nick Holmes said "Mesmerized" was his second favorite Celtic Frost song, partly because of how Warrior sang on it.{{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-celtic-frost-songs-by-paradise-lost-s-nick-holmes |last=Holmes |first= Nick|title=The Top 10 best Celtic Frost songs |work=Louder |date=13 July 2020 |access-date=13 June 2024}} Anathema's Vincent Cavanagh, later on, would borrow Warrior's moaned-style singing on "Mesmerized" for The Silent Enigma{{'}}s title track.{{cite book|last=Gehlke|first=David E.|title=Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records|date=2017|publisher=Deliberation Press|location=United States|isbn=9780692637135|page=246}}

Celtic Frost's third album also had a lasting influence on symphonic metal. Therion mainman Christofer Johnsson, in particular, frequently acknowledges its importance.{{cite web |url=https://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/interviews.php?intid=55 |last=Williams |first= Barbara|title=Therion Interview |work=The Metal Crypt |date=22 February 2003 |access-date=1 June 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.metalpaths.com/interviews/2018/03/06/interview-therion-christofer-johnsson |last=Noir |first= Achileas|title=Interview: Therion (Christofer Johnson) |work=Metalpaths.com |date=6 March 2018 |access-date=1 June 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bardomethodology.com/articles/2019/04/17/therion-interview |last=Göransson |first= Niklas|title=Therion interview |work=Bardo Methodology |date=17 April 2019 |access-date=1 June 2024}} In 2021, it was elected by Metal Hammer as the second best symphonic metal album of all time.{{cite web |last1=Davies |first1=Hywel |last2=Dome |first2=Malcolm |last3=Goodman |first3=Eleanor |last4=Chantler |first4=Chris |last5=Gordon |first5=Connie |last6=Grady |first6=Spencer |last7=Rees |first7=Adam |last8=Selzer |first8=Jonathan |title=The 25 best symphonic metal albums |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-25-best-symphonic-metal-albums/2 |website=Metal Hammer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=2 January 2022 |date=17 November 2021}}

{{track listing

| headline = Side One

| title1 = Mexican Radio

| writer1 = Marc Moreland, Stan Ridgway

| note1 = Wall of Voodoo cover

| length1 = 3:28

| title2 = Mesmerized

| length2 = 3:24

| writer2 = Martin Eric Ain, Thomas Gabriel Warrior

| title3 = Inner Sanctum

| length3 = 5:14

| writer3 = Warrior, Ain

| title4 = Sorrows of the Moon

| length4 = 3:04

| writer4 = Ain

| title5 = Babylon Fell

| length5 = 4:18

| writer5 = Warrior

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Side Two

| title6 = Caress into Oblivion

| length6 = 5:10

| writer6 = Warrior

| title7 = One in Their Pride

| length7 = 2:50

| writer7 = Warrior

| title8 = I Won't Dance

| length8 = 4:31

| writer8 = Warrior

| title9 = Rex Irae (Requiem)

| length9 = 5:57

| writer9 = Warrior

| title10 = Oriental Masquerade

| length10 = 1:15

| writer10 = Warrior

}}

{{track listing

| title1 = Mexican Radio

| length1 = 3:28

| title2 = Mesmerized

| length2 = 3:24

| title3 = Inner Sanctum

| length3 = 5:14

| title4 = Tristesses de la Lune

| length4 = 2:58

| title5 = Babylon Fell (Jade Serpent)

| length5 = 4:18

| title6 = Caress into Oblivion (Jade Serpent II)

| length6 = 5:10

| title7 = One in Their Pride

| note7 = Porthole Mix

| length7 = 2:50

| title8 = I Won't Dance (The Elders' Orient)

| length8 = 4:31

| title9 = Sorrows of the Moon

| length9 = 3:04

| title10 = Rex Irae (Requiem)

| length10 = 5:57

| title11 = Oriental Masquerade

| length11 = 1:15

| title12 = One in Their Pride

| note12 = Re-entry Mix

| length12 = 5:52

}}

{{track listing

| title13 = In the Chapel, in the Moonlight

| writer13 = Billy Hill

| length13 = 2:04

| title14 = The Inevitable Factor

| writer14 = Warrior, Ain, Reed St. Mark

| length14 = 4:38

| title15 = The Inevitable Factor

| writer15 = Warrior, Ain, St. Mark

| note15 = Alternate Vox

| length15 = 4:38

}}

;Celtic Frost

• Thomas Gabriel Warrior – vocals, guitars, synthesizers, effects
• Martin Eric Ain – bass, effects, backing vocals
• Reed St. Mark – drums, percussions, synthesizers, effects, backing vocals

;Additional musicians (CD editions)

• Manü Moan (The Vyllies) – vocals (track 4)
• Andreas Dobler – guitars (tracks 9, 10, 14, 15)
• Lothar Krist – orchestral arrangements, conductor (tracks 4, 10, 11)
• Malgorzata Blaiejewska Woller, Eva Cieslinski – violins (tracks 4, 10, 11)
• Wulf Ebert – cello (tracks 4, 10, 11)
• Gypsy – viola (tracks 4, 10, 11)
• Anton Schreiber – French horn (tracks 10, 11)
• Thomas Berter – backing vocals (track 1)
• Claudia-Maria Mokri – backing vocals (tracks 2, 5, 10)
• H.C. 1922 – backing vocals (track 8)
• Marchain Regee Rotschy – backing vocals (track 13)

;Production

• Celtic Frost – producers
• Jan Nemec – engineer, sample editing (tracks 7, 12)

{{reflist}}

{{Celtic Frost}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Celtic Frost albums

Category:1987 albums

Category:Noise Records albums

Category:Musical settings of poems by Charles Baudelaire

Category:Combat Records albums