Vanity/Nemesis - Celtic Frost

Following the disappointment of 'Cold Lake,' Celtic Frost return to form to some extent, though the band's perseverance in reinventing their sound once again results in an album that's highly distinctive in the discography, if less sensational than their earlier efforts. Thrash metal is still at the root, but absent is the evil atmosphere that pervaded 'Morbid Tales,' more in line with the gritty experimentalism of 'Into the Pandemonium' while thankfully side-stepping the glam of 'Cold Lake' altogether. As with many bands at the turn of the nineties, the music here is a little more laid-back and often more comparable to hard rock than metal, similar to ...