CELTIC FROST - TO MEGA THERION 12" Vinyl LP Album

- The Great Beast Awakens: Celtic Frost’s Genre-Defying Debut with H.R. Giger’s Haunting Visual Legacy

High Resolution Photo

Celtic Frost's 1985 debut album, "To Mega Therion," revolutionized thrash metal with its avant-garde blend of doom and gothic elements. The iconic album cover, a surreal masterpiece by Swiss artist H.R. Giger, added a visual dimension to the band's unorthodox sound. This artistic synergy between Celtic Frost's sonic innovation and Giger's biomechanical aesthetic created a timeless masterpiece that continues to influence and captivate audiences worldwide.

"To Mega Therion" Album Description:

Celtic Frost's debut studio album, "To Mega Therion," released in 1985, stands as a seminal work in the realm of thrash metal. Beyond its groundbreaking musicality, the album is also celebrated for its iconic cover art, a surreal masterpiece created by the renowned Swiss artist H.R. Giger. This article delves into the creation history of "To Mega Therion," exploring the synergy between Celtic Frost's sonic vision and H.R. Giger's visual prowess.

Celtic Frost's Sonic Alchemy:

"To Mega Therion" marked a significant departure from conventional thrash metal, introducing a blend of avant-garde, doom, and gothic elements. The album's title, derived from Greek mythology, translates to "The Great Beast," setting the tone for the dark and atmospheric journey that awaits the listener. Tom Gabriel Fischer's guttural vocals and the band's intricate instrumentation created an immersive experience that defied genre norms.

The Creation of "To Mega Therion":

The collaboration between Celtic Frost and H.R. Giger was a stroke of artistic genius. Giger, renowned for his work on Ridley Scott's "Alien," brought his distinct biomechanical style to the album cover. The illustration features a nightmarish creature, a fusion of organic and mechanical elements, capturing the essence of Celtic Frost's unorthodox sound. The intricate details and surreal imagery provided a visual counterpart to the album's avant-garde musicality.

H.R. Giger's Artistic Influence:

Hans Rudolf Giger, known as H.R. Giger, was a visionary artist whose work often explored the intersection of the organic and the mechanical. His unique aesthetic, characterized by intricate and disturbing imagery, found a perfect canvas in the world of Celtic Frost's "To Mega Therion." Giger's collaboration with the band extended beyond the album cover, with his art influencing the overall visual identity of the band during this era.

Production & Recording Information:

Music Genre:

Swiss Death Thrash Metal

Label & Catalognr:

Noise N 0031 with Black Colour Label

Album Packaging

Gatefold/FOC (Fold Open Cover) Album Cover Design with artwork / photos on the inside cover pages.

This album "To Mega Therion" includes the original custom inner sleeve with album details, complete lyrics of all songs by and photos.

Media Format:

12" Vinyl Stereo Full-Length Long-Play Gramophone Record
Album weight: 290 gram

Year & Country:

1985 – Made in Germany

Producers:
  • Horst "The Only One" Muller - Producer
    • Horst Mueller - a sound engineer from Germany and has engineered the records of several German Metal bands, notable Destruction, Running Wild, Warrant and the Swiss Celtic Frost band, as well as many others. He has used several different aliases/pseudonyms, aliases used by Horst Mueller include: Horst "Hoddle" Muller, Horst H.I.F. "The Crazy Frog" Muller, Horst "The Only One" Muller, "Mad" Horst Muller.
  • Karl-Ulrich Walterbach - Executive Producer:
    • Karl-Ulrich Walterbach: German music producer who transformed the heavy metal scene. Founder of the iconic Noise Records, he launched the careers of Helloween, Celtic Frost, and countless others. Walterbach's Career Description
Sound & Recording Engineers:
  • Rick "Lights" - Sound Engineer
Album Cover Design & Artwork:
  • H.R. Giger - Album Cover Artwork
    • H.R. Giger a Swiss artist, achieved fame for his dark, biomechanical style that blends human and machine. His airbrushed paintings often depicted disturbing dreamscapes. He designed the terrifying xenomorph in the movie "Alien," which earned him an Academy Award. The H.R. Giger Museum in Switzerland showcases his work. See some of his most famous designs:
  • Tom G. Warrior – Producer, Sound Engineer, Artwork, Design, Music
  • Urs Sprenger – Artwork Typography
  • Martin Eric Ain – Design
Photography:
  • Ernst Wirz - Photographer

Band Members / Musicians:

Band Members, Musicians:
  • Tom Gabriel "Warrior" Fischer – Guitars, Vocals. Tom Warrior (real name: Tom Gabriel Fischer) founded the Hellhammer and Celtic Frost band. While playing with Hellhammer he used the pseudonym: "Satanic Slaughter". He has also been co-producer of many of Celtic Frost and Coroner albums.
  • Dominic Steiner – Bass
  • Reed St. Mark – Drums
  • Martin Eric Ain – Bass (Tracks 2 & 3)
  • Wolf Bender – French horn (Tracks 1, 4 & 10)
  • Claudia-Maria Mokri – Additional vocals (Tracks 2, 6 & 10)
  • Horst Müller – Sound effects (Track 9)
  • Urs Sprenger – Sound effects (Track 9)

 

Complete Track-listing:

Tracklisting:
  1. Innocence and Wrath – 1:02
  2. The Usurper – 3:24
  3. Jewel Throne – 3:59
  4. Dawn of Meggido – 5:42
  5. Eternal Summer – 4:29
  6. Circle of the Tyrants – 4:36
  7. (Beyond the) North Winds – 3:04
  8. Fainted Eyes – 5:00
  9. Tears in a Prophet's Dream – 2:30
  10. Necromantical Screams – 6:06

Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion Album Photo Gallery:

Album Front Cover Photo
Album cover artwork for Celtic Frost's 'To Mega Therion', featuring H.R. Giger's surreal biomechanical painting of a horned demonic figure holding a crucified Christ-like body with serpentine entities emerging from the sides.

Front cover of the album "To Mega Therion" by Celtic Frost, painted by Swiss surrealist artist H.R. Giger.

The artwork presents a striking, nightmarish scene dominated by a massive, dark demonic figure with one horned head and deeply shadowed eyes. This figure grips a crucified, Christ-like figure by the waist with one monstrous hand, while the arms of the crucified man are forcibly outstretched and pierced by a long metal bar held by the demon's other hand.

Emerging from both sides of the demon are serpentine, biomechanical creatures. On the left, a snake-like form ends in a gaping mouth with a screaming human skull emerging from it. On the right, another serpent with a skeletal head wearing a top hat peers out menacingly. The background is shrouded in smoky, ethereal fogs, scattered with crucifix-like shapes floating midair, and ghostly white spirits or apparitions seem to loom faintly in the atmosphere.

The entire composition is rendered in H.R. Giger’s signature biomechanical style, blending human anatomy with organic and mechanical forms, creating an unholy fusion of flesh and metal that reflects the dark and avant-garde nature of the music within. The band's logo, in a sharp gothic font, is placed in the upper center portion of the image.

Album Back Cover Photo
Back cover of Celtic Frost's 'To Mega Therion' LP showing the track list, credits, and a band photo of three members in dark stage outfits, surrounded by gothic typography on a black background.

Back cover of the 1985 LP "To Mega Therion" by Celtic Frost.

The design features a black background densely packed with white gothic-styled text in various sizes. The track listing is split across the top into Side One and Side Two, flanking a prominent white emblem with occult symbolism.

In the center is a rectangular band photo showing three members of Celtic Frost dressed in theatrical heavy metal attire. They wear black leather and studs, with one member in an armored breastplate and two others flanking him in sleeveless outfits. Their hairstyles are voluminous and typical of the 1980s metal scene.

Beneath the photo, in large stylized purple text, is the album title "To Mega Therion." Around the photo and margins, detailed credits list production, artwork, publishing, and thanks. Notable names include producer Horst Müller, H.R. Giger (credited for the iconic cover art), and Tom Gabriel Warrior.

The overall presentation is stark and theatrical, reinforcing the dark, mythic atmosphere that defines the album’s visual and musical tone.

Photo One of Inside Page Gatefold Cover
Inside gatefold of Celtic Frost's 'To Mega Therion' showing portraits of band members Tom G. Warrior and Dominic Steiner on the left, and a red-hued surreal artwork by H.R. Giger on the right, depicting a biomechanical female torso against a cosmic background.

Inside gatefold photo from the album "To Mega Therion" by Celtic Frost.

On the left, two portrait photos of band members appear on a black background. At the top is Tom G. Warrior, seated in full black metal regalia, including a studded leather outfit and chains, gazing intensely at the camera with long, flowing hair. Below is Dominic Steiner, standing with his bass guitar, dressed in black with his hair in a voluminous mane typical of 1980s metal fashion.

The right side is filled with a vivid, surreal red artwork by H.R. Giger, titled “Vlad Tepes.” It features a distorted and stylized biomechanical female form, with breast and rib-like structures merging into an abstract body that fades into clouds of red mist. The textures are organic yet artificial, emphasizing Giger’s signature fusion of human anatomy and machinery. The artwork appears to be floating in a dreamlike void, creating a disorienting and powerful contrast with the realism of the band portraits.

The overall composition reinforces the dark, mythological, and avant-garde aesthetic of the album—melding brutal sonic identity with equally provocative visual art.

Photo Two of Inside Page Gatefold Cover
Second gatefold image from Celtic Frost's 'To Mega Therion' album, featuring H.R. Giger's biomechanical red-toned female figure flashing a peace sign, alongside a portrait of drummer Reed St. Mark and a red pentagram-style logo.

Second inside gatefold image from Celtic Frost’s 1985 LP "To Mega Therion."

The left side is dominated by a continuation of H.R. Giger’s surreal biomechanical artwork. Rendered in searing tones of red and orange, it features a humanoid female form with stylized robotic texture. The figure’s left arm is raised in a loose peace sign, its skeletal fingers formed by ridged, tendon-like structures. The head, partially cropped, bears Giger’s characteristic fusion of skull and machine, while atmospheric clouds swirl behind the form, enhancing the dreamlike sense of distortion and unease.

On the upper right, a studio portrait of drummer Reed St. Mark shows him in a sleeveless black leather outfit, metal-studded wristbands, and a large inverted cross necklace. His voluminous 1980s hairstyle completes the dramatic stage look.

Below Reed’s portrait appears a red-inked version of the "To Mega Therion" symbol: a highly stylized emblem resembling a pentagram fused with mechanical and demonic iconography, reinforcing the album’s occult and dystopian themes. The album title is rendered in an angular, menacing font beneath it.

This spread embodies the album’s aesthetic fusion of sonic extremity, visual provocation, and theatrical identity.

First Photo of Custom Inner Sleeve
First custom inner sleeve from Celtic Frost's 'To Mega Therion' album featuring full printed lyrics for four songs, band logo, photo of three band members in metal outfits, and occult-themed artwork.

First custom inner sleeve from Celtic Frost’s 1985 album "To Mega Therion."

This black-and-white design is densely packed with content. Dominating the left side is the track "Circle of the Tyrants" in full lyrics, printed in white gothic font. Above it appears the band’s complex sigil—an inverted pentagram-like design featuring barbed arrows and a crowned skeletal face at the center.

To the right, full lyrics are also presented for “Fainted Eyes,” “Necromantical Screams,” and “(Beyond the) North Winds.” Each is arranged in a block layout with author and arrangement credits at the bottom, naming Tom G. Warrior and Reed St. Mark.

In the center of the sleeve is a monochrome photo of the band’s three members—Tom G. Warrior, Dominic Steiner, and Reed St. Mark—clad in their signature black leather, spikes, and chains. Their presence is framed by a small caption: “Contributions: Celtic Frost dilettantes.” Below the photo is the band’s white logo in an elaborate design that includes twisted bat-like wings extending from gothic lettering.

The background remains solid black, giving the entire sleeve a stark, sinister atmosphere that visually mirrors the band’s dark and lyrical content. This sleeve reinforces the immersive, mythological world Celtic Frost created with this release.

Second Photo of Custom Inner Sleeve
Second custom inner sleeve of Celtic Frost's 'To Mega Therion' featuring lyrics for five tracks in white text on a black background, accompanied by occult symbols and the band logo.

Second custom inner sleeve from Celtic Frost’s album "To Mega Therion."

This black inner sleeve continues the album’s dark visual theme with white gothic typography across five blocks of lyrics. The featured tracks are “Dawn of Megiddo,” “Jewel Throne,” “The Usurper,” “Eternal Summer,” and a promotional mention of “Emperor's Return.” Each section includes full lyrics, musical credits, and arrangement notes, reinforcing the importance of lyrical content to the band’s artistic vision.

The upper left displays Celtic Frost’s horned bat-like band logo, rendered in high contrast white. Beneath it, the album title “To Mega Therion” appears in sharp, jagged lettering. Occultic starburst sigils appear again at both the top and bottom of the sleeve, echoing the motifs from the album’s front and back covers.

The lyrics reflect themes of prophecy, ancient power, betrayal, and death—embellished by vivid apocalyptic imagery. This sleeve not only provides the listener with the words behind the music, but also deepens the mystical and thematic experience intended by the band.

Close up of Side One record’s label
Side One label of Celtic Frost’s To Mega Therion vinyl record, featuring the band logo and album title in white gothic font on a matte black background, with German legal disclaimer text encircling the label.

Close-up of the Side One label from Celtic Frost’s 1985 album "To Mega Therion."

This image shows the central label pressed into the vinyl’s first side. The background is matte black with a subtle vinyl texture and concentric groove rings visible under light. At the center, the band’s jagged gothic logo appears prominently in silver-white, followed by the album’s title “To Mega Therion” in capitalized medieval script.

A thin circular border of small white text wraps around the label, printed in German, stating copyright and performance rights disclaimers, including phrases like "KEINE VERVIELFÄLTIGUNG," "VERMIETUNG," and "SENDUNG." The center hole is cleanly punched and reveals part of the spindle groove beneath.

The minimalistic and monochromatic design complements the album’s stark aesthetic, reinforcing the cold, foreboding tone of the music pressed into its grooves.

Side Two Close up of record’s label
Side Two label of Celtic Frost’s To Mega Therion LP showing track listing, Noise Records logo, catalog number N 0031, and legal text around the label's perimeter.

Close-up of the Side Two label from Celtic Frost’s album "To Mega Therion."

This detailed image shows the official vinyl label for the second side of the LP, pressed in black with white text. At the top is the stylized logo of Noise Records in ornate gothic font, followed by the note “a division of Modern Music” and “Manufactured in West Germany.”

The label is divided into two tracklists: This Side includes “Circle of the Tyrants,” “(Beyond the) North Winds,” “Fainted Eyes,” “Tears in a Prophet’s Dream,” and “Necromantical Screams,” while the Other Side lists “Innocence and Wrath,” “The Usurper,” “Jewel Throne,” “Dawn of Megiddo,” and “Eternal Summer.” Each song is followed by its duration.

On the right side, catalog number N 0031, the rights code LC 9066, and the copyright year © + ℗ 1985 Noise are printed. The GEMA STEREO 33 designation is shown to the left, indicating rights management and playback format.

Surrounding the outer rim of the label is a circular legal disclaimer in German, cautioning against unauthorized reproduction, rental, performance, or broadcasting. The clean, orderly layout presents the essential release details with clarity, reinforcing the record's status as an official pressing from a landmark European metal label.

Index of CELTIC FROST ( Switzerland ) Vinyl Album Discography and Album Cover Gallery
CELTIC FROST - Cold Lake (1988, Germany) 12" Vinyl LP
CELTIC FROST - Cold Lake (1988, Germany) album front cover vinyl record

  Noise International N 0125-1 , 1988 , Germany

This album's reception was polarized, to say the least. Longtime fans of Celtic Frost were taken aback by the drastic change in style, feeling disconnected from the band they had come to know.

Learn more
CELTIC FROST - Into the Pandemonium (First Pressing) 12" Vinyl LP
CELTIC FROST - Into the Pandemonium (First German Pressing) album front cover vinyl record

  NOISE International N 0065 , 1987 , Germany

The 12" vinyl LP, adorned with Hieronymus Bosch's "Garden of Delights," blends diverse influences. Recorded in Berlin in 1987, it defies norms, incorporating classical and industrial elements.

Learn more
CELTIC FROST - Into the Pandemonium (1987, France) 12" Vinyl LP
CELTIC FROST - Into the Pandemonium (1987, France) album front cover vinyl record

Accord 130094 , 1987 , France

This album cover, derived from Hieronymus Bosch's masterpiece, added a visual dimension. A sonic journey, it stands timeless, a groundbreaking fusion that reshaped metal's landscape

Learn more
CELTIC FROST - To Mega Therion 12" Vinyl LP
CELTIC FROST - To Mega Therion album front cover vinyl record

  Black Noise N 0031 , 1985 , Germany

Celtic Frost’s "To Mega Therion" is a groundbreaking 1985 release that shattered thrash metal conventions with its fusion of doom, avant-garde, and gothic elements. Featuring haunting vocals and darkly theatrical riffs, the album is immortalized by H.R. Giger’s surreal biomechanical artwork—turning this LP into a true cult classic.

Learn more
CELTIC FROST - Vanity Nemesis 12" LP
Thumbnail of CELTIC FROST - Vanity Nemesis album front cover

EMI Electrola EMI Noise 1C 064-7 94070 , 1990 , Germany

This album shows the band heading in a thrash metal direction instead of the black metal sound of the first 2 albums, or the avant-garde metal of Into the Pandemonium.

Learn more