One of the best EPs in 1980s underground metal, even if it is just a peripheral oddity.

But just like the Voivod picture disc that was co-released with this Celtic Frost reissue, these things lean more towards being an art object than a necessary addition to a collection. I mean, Celtic Frost and Voivod both rank among my all-time favorite bands, so I'm naturally going to pick these up for the C-Blast shelf. But this record is going to be of primary interest to hardcore Frost vinyl-heads and picture disc collectors, since this 12" only has around twelve minutes of music, all of the songs available elsewhere on the CD editions (albeit with some slight differences - more on that in a sec).It does look damn beautiful though, I gotta admit. A 2018 "Record Store Day" release, this is a reissue of the classic '86 EP, here presented as a picture disc collector's item that, just like the Voivod platter, replicates the exact art and design of the original pic disc from Noise International. Now, on the other hand, I didn't realize this before picking this up, but it turns out the the recordings are actually alternate (or "new", as they are listed on the sleeve) versions of the album tracks, partly re-recorded and remixed / remastered, so there is a bit of difference there; your need to own a set different recordings of classic Frost jams will depend on your own personal level of vinyl nerd-dom.

Regardless of all that, the Tragic Serenades EP is a straight slammer though. Apparently part of the reason for these re-recordings was to feature Martin Ain's bass lines, which were absent on the previous album. The A-side features the aforementioned alternative studio recordings of "The Usurper" and "Jewel Throne" (both off the classic To Mega Therion album, while the B-side has "Return To The Eve" from Morbid Tales , presented here as a "re-recorded version / party mix". Whatever in the hell that means. "Usurper" and "Jewel" sound punishing here, and the contrast between the mid-tempo crush and D-beat violence of the former with the grinding sauropod groove and balls-out thrash of the latter makes for strong and heady brew. The remix makes them sound somewhat muddier and more chaotic (partly due to the fact that the bass and drums are much more prominent on these versions), and I'm pretty sure there are some guitar parts and oddball vocal bits included here that don't appear on the album versions. Most noticeable is the lack of the French horns from the album. In any event, this is Frost at their earth-devouring best. "Oughs" and "Hey!"'s are bountiful.

OK, so from what I think I'm finding out, "Party Mix" apparently means the band turned "Return To The Eve" into a whole 'nother song, because the band completely re-recorded and re-wired this one, with Reed St. Mark on drums for this version; it's a bit more chaotic, but Warrior's vocals are hilariously awesome, as are the additional goofery from Reed St. Mark . He's catcalling and whooping and yelling all over the joint, while the trio mops up with one of their heaviest riffs ever. The tempo shifts in this one are enough to irritate my sciatica; it's relentlessly pummeling. The female vocals are present from the original, but are a little more buried in the mix - the whole thing sounds "looser" and more off-the-cuff, and it sounds like the guys are having a goddamned blast.

Again, pretty much only for hardcore die-hard Celtic Frost vinyl-addicts, but inarguably awesome.