Morbid Tales is the debut album by the Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 extreme metal

Extreme metal

Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...

 band, Celtic Frost

Celtic Frost

Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...

. It was released in June 1984. The first American release by Enigma/Metal Blade added two tracks, making Morbid Tales an LP.

Morbid Tales had a major influence on the then-developing death metal

Death metal

Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....

 and black metal

Black metal

Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....

 genres. It included elements that were adopted by the pioneers of both styles.

European version

USA version

Remaster

Morbid Tales/Emperor's Return is a 1999 remastered edition of the first Celtic Frost album Morbid Tales along with the tracks from their 1985 release Emperor's Return

Emperor's Return

Emperor's Return is the second release by the Swiss extreme metal band, Celtic Frost. It was released in 1985 as an extended play and was their first record featuring American drummer Reid Cruickshank...

.

Track listing

Credits

• Tom Gabriel Fischer
  Thomas Gabriel Fischer
  Thomas Gabriel Fischer , earlier known by his stage name of "Tom Gabriel Warrior", is a Swiss singer and guitarist. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of the death metal style of singing or growling. Together with Bruce Day and Steve Warrior he formed the seminal metal band Hellhammer in...
  
   – guitars, vocals
• Martin Eric Ain
  Martin Eric Ain
  Martin Eric Ain is best known for being the former left-handed bassist of the now defunct Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost. According to a recent interview, Ain is, in fact, an alias...
  
  – bass
• Stephen Priestly – session drums

Guest musicians

• Horst Müller : Additional vocals (Tracks 3, 5 & 7)
• Hertha Ohling : Additional vocals (Track 6)
• Oswald Spengler : Violin (Track 7 & 8)

Further reading

• Black Metal Foundations Top 20: The First Wave (2005). Terrorizer, 128, 42-43.