Tragic Serenades is an EP 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 1986, and was an influence on the 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. According to frontman Thomas 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...

, the purpose of this EP was to include 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...

's bass lines and improve on Horst Müller's original production of tracks from To Mega Therion

To Mega Therion (album)

To Mega Therion is the second album by the Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost, released in October 1985. The cover artwork is a painting by H.R. Giger entitled Satan I...

.

Overview

The re-recorded version of "Return to the Eve" (the original version of which was featured on the Morbid Tales

Morbid Tales

Morbid Tales is the debut album by the Swiss extreme metal band, Celtic Frost. It was released in June 1984. The first American release by Enigma/Metal Blade added two tracks, making Morbid Tales an LP....

mini-album), features Reed

Reed St. Mark

Reed St. Mark is an American drummer best known for playing with the avant-garde Swiss heavy metal band Celtic Frost.Reed St. Mark joined Celtic Frost in 1985 for the recording of their Emperor's Return E.P. and the highly influential To Mega Therion and Into The Pandemonium albums...

's habit of loudly goofing off during songs, with Reed loosely sharing lead vocals. Celtic Frost included this "party-like studio-jam" of the song on Tragic Serenades as their "first public display of light-heartedness."

Track listing

Credits

• Thomas Gabriel Warrior
  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...
  
   - Voice, Guitar, Effects
• Reed St. Mark
  Reed St. Mark
  Reed St. Mark is an American drummer best known for playing with the avant-garde Swiss heavy metal band Celtic Frost.Reed St. Mark joined Celtic Frost in 1985 for the recording of their Emperor's Return E.P. and the highly influential To Mega Therion and Into The Pandemonium albums...
  
   - Drums, Percussion, Effects
• Martin Eric Ain - Bass
• Harris Johns - Engineer
• Karl "Jeder Will 1500" Walterbach - Executive Producer