I am selling my 28+ year collection of Records. As an avid collector, my items have been properly handled, played and stored over the years. The rating system I use to grade the condition of my items are strictly according to Tim Neely's “Goldmine” Standards. Check out my other auctions, I have Hundreds more coming every Sunday!

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Celtic Frost ?– Morbid Tales

Label: Metal Blade Records ?– MBR 1033, Enigma Records (3) ?– 72016-1

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album

Country: US

Released: 1985

Notes: Although open, this is still in the original shrink wrap. On it, the sticker designating 2 bonus tracks and includes a poster-size lyric sheet. “Dethroned Emperor" and "Morbid Tales" as bonus tracks, poster is included in NM condition.
"This mini-LP is dedicated to Dinosaur Surocco (especially the speed songs) and to Rick "Tytan" Lights" Printed on back.

Condition: Vinyl NM – Cover NM

Tracklist

A1

Into The Crypts Of Rays

A2

Visions Of Mortality

A3

Dethroned Emperor

A4

Morbid Tales

B1

Procreation (Of The Wicked)

B2

Return To The Eve

B3

Danse Macabre

B4

Nocturnal Fear

Though they'd been together for barely a year and had yet to play their first concert, Celtic Frost brought a remarkably accomplished vision to the recording of their first album, 1984's Morbid Tales. With its highly focused thrash metal intensity and peculiar mix of satanic and esoteric lyrics, the album would sow the seeds of Frost's overwhelming influence in years to come. And, along with the powerful visual impact of its bandmembers' leather-bound wardrobe and badly-drawn facial corpse paint, songs like "Visions of Mortality" and "Morbid Tales" would be analyzed, digested, and regurgitated by manic hordes of disillusioned European youths forming their own death metal bands in years to come. Following the hellish primal screams of intro "Human," and the lethal speed metal of "Into the Crypts of Rays," Tom Warrior (aka Thomas Gabriel Warrior) and company lock into a fierce groove which rarely falters through to the last riff of closer "Nocturnal Fear." With its primitive grind, the excellent "Procreation (Of the Wicked)" (later covered by Sepultura) remains a career highlight, but shows no sign of the band's future experiments in avant-garde metal. In fact, these are only hinted at by the female voice recital utilized in "Return to the Eve," and the bizarre noise experiments of "Danse Macabre" -- a collage of sound effects, violin, Warrior's moans, and all-around mayhem. As for Celtic Frost's own source of inspiration, Venom and other New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands provide the bulk of it. The main riff of "Dethroned Emperor," for instance, simply offers a slight variation of Diamond Head's "Am I Evil." But it was Celtic Frost's very isolation from rock's typical breeding grounds which fed their uniquely European perspective. Had they not been impoverished outcasts within Switzerland's protective prosperity in their formative years, it is unlikely that theirs could have been such a twisted and wonderful evolution.

Tim Neely's “Goldmine” Standard:

Mint (M) Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly never been played, possibly even still sealed.(More on still sealed under "Other Considerations"). Should be used sparingly as a grade, If at all.

Near Mint (NM or M-) A nearly perfect record. The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling. An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like. Basically, an LP in near mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.

Very Good Plus (VG+) A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK". The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play. Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount. In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

Very Good (VG) Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound. Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.

Good (G), Good Plus (G+) Good does not mean Bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white). A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object. It is a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually. Pass it up. But, if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it...but keep looking to upgrade.