Cold Lake

by Celtic Frost

This album is quite perplexing. While a small number of people may have liked it, the general consensus, especially among Celtic Frost's early fans, is that Cold Lake is a complete misstep. However, I wonder whether the music itself is as baffling as some of the song titles, lyrics, or even the glitzy band photos in the booklet—quite the departure from their usual monochrome aesthetic—suggest. While this album does stray far from the trajectory set by earlier works like Morbid Tales or To Mega Therion, when you place it in the context of its chaotic predecessor, Into the Pandemonium, it doesn’t feel like such a wild departure after all.

The Cold Lake album seems to have aimed for a glam aesthetic, or at least that's what it’s often labeled as. However, this is by no means a glam album. Rather, it feels closer to '80s heavy metal infused with Celtic Frost's signature grotesque flair. (Just listen to the break in the first track, "Seduce Me Tonight"—a bizarrely titled opener!) The result is a unique sound that’s hard to find in any other band’s repertoire. One might question whether this uniqueness was entirely intentional given the aesthetic they were trying to project (probably not), but in any case, it gives the album a strange, distinctive charm that keeps you coming back.

This album is by no means a disaster, but calling it a masterpiece would also be a stretch. While the band's blend of '80s metal with their chromatic progressions and unsettling melodies is impressive, the overall structure of the songs feels indistinguishable from generic glam bands of the era. Most of the tracks follow similar formulas, and you can’t help but wonder if the album really needed all 12 of them. Still, as I’ve emphasized, this album has its quirks and appeal. For anyone who might have been put off by the overwhelmingly negative reviews or those who have a fondness for '80s heavy metal, I recommend setting aside your preconceptions about Celtic Frost and giving Cold Lake a listen.