Morbid Tales | ||||
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EP and studio album by | ||||
Released | November 1984 | |||
Recorded | 8–15 October 1984 | |||
Studio | Caet Studio in Berlin, Germany | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 24:51 (Mini-LP) 32:09 (LP) 50:02 (album version) | |||
Label | Noise (Europe) Enigma/Metal Blade (US) | |||
Producer | Horst Müller, Tom Warrior, Martin Ain, Karl Walterbach | |||
Celtic Frost chronology | ||||
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1999 remastered edition cover | ||||
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Morbid Tales is the debut record by the Swiss extreme metal band, Celtic Frost, released in November 1984. It was originally released in Europe on Noise Records as a mini-LP with six tracks, while the American release by Enigma/Metal Blade added two tracks, bringing it to the length of a regular studio LP. The band retrospectively refers to the LP release as the band's debut studio album.[3][4]
In 1999 a remastered edition of Morbid Tales was released on CD by Noise Records, which also contained the tracks from their 1985 EP Emperor's Return as well as a 2017 remastered edition released by the same label on CD and vinyl formats.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 5/10[5] |
The thrash metal intensity of Morbid Tales had a major influence on the then-developing death metal and black metal genres. It included elements that were adopted by the pioneers of both styles.[6] The band's bleak and dead serious fashion style was also influential, including their corpse paint face makeup.[2][1] In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Morbid Tales as 28th on their list of 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.'[7]
In the commentary for Darkthrone's album Panzerfaust, Fenriz cites this album along with Bathory's Under the Sign of the Black Mark and Vader's Necrolust as key riff inspirations.[8]
"Danse Macabre" was later sampled in the demo track "Totgetanzt" from their 2002 demo album Prototype.[9]
All music by Thomas Gabriel Fischer, all lyrics by Thomas Gabriel Fischer and Martin Ain, except where noted.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Into the Crypts of Rays" (Fischer) | 4:46 |
2. | "Visions of Mortality" | 4:49 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
3. | "Procreation (Of the Wicked)" | 4:02 |
4. | "Return to the Eve" | 4:05 |
5. | "Danse Macabre" | 3:51 |
6. | "Nocturnal Fear" | 3:35 |
Total length: | 24:51 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Into the Crypts of Rays" (Fischer) | 3:39 |
2. | "Visions of Mortality" | 4:49 |
3. | "Dethroned Emperor" (Fischer) | 4:37 |
4. | "Morbid Tales" | 3:29 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
5. | "Procreation (Of the Wicked)" | 4:04 |
6. | "Return to the Eve" | 4:07 |
7. | "Danse Macabre" | 3:52 |
8. | "Nocturnal Fear" | 3:36 |
Total length: | 32:09 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Human (Intro)" (intro to "Into the Crypts of Rays"; originally joined as one track, CD reissue split this into two tracks) | 0:41 |
2. | "Into the Crypts of Rays" | 3:39 |
3. | "Visions of Mortality" | 4:49 |
4. | "Dethroned Emperor" | 4:37 |
5. | "Morbid Tales" | 3:29 |
6. | "Procreation (Of the Wicked)" | 4:04 |
7. | "Return to the Eve" | 4:07 |
8. | "Danse Macabre" | 3:51 |
9. | "Nocturnal Fear" | 3:36 |
10. | "Circle of the Tyrants" | 4:27 |
11. | "Visual Aggression" | 4:10 |
12. | "Suicidal Winds" | 4:36 |
Total length: | 50:02 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
10. | "Morbid Tales (1984 Rehearsal)" | 3:41 |
11. | "Messiah (1984 Rehearsal)" | 4:45 |
12. | "Procreation (Of the Wicked) (1984 Rehearsal)" | 4:14 |
13. | "Nocturnal Fear (1984 Rehearsal)" | 3:54 |
Credits adapted from the original editions.[10][11]