ALBUM REVIEW: Altar Of Gore – Obscure & Obscene Gods

Blackened Death Metallers ALTAR OF GORE have unleashed their highly anticipated debut album, this band is completely new to me so this should be interesting.

With a simplistic and ritualistic style introduction, the macabre mood is set in with strength, leaving no doubt that something wicked lies ahead. Storming guitars and pounding drums blast out a rupturing blend of gnarly riffs and hits that displays a primitively old school style of Death Metal shrouded in an occultist vibe that really delves into the most morbid depths of the genre.

A hammering ferocity forces you into a chasm of crisp riffing, thunderous bass and chiming cymbals to make for a relentless and powerfully darkened listen, certainly a fantastic first impression for me. The vocals on this record are particularly demonic with guttural and snarls used in perfect unison while well blended with the swirling insanity of the instrumentals. Dive-bomb whammy bar attacks appear sparsely to drive in the nail of old school Death Metal and further the grave-shaking soundscapes of malevolent musical excellency. The slower, blundering riffs fire out a pure disdain which when the mid-tempo crawls pick up, a common pattern on the record, it feels truly filth-ridden and to my ear, that is a captivating quality.

Each track musters up something unique while they flow fairly smoothly and make for a killer listen with the vitriolic songwriting that forcefully spews out disrupting Death Metal maniacally, demanding your full attention and showing a magnificent display of revolting sounds. While there is clearly a huge influence of traditional Death Metal and some more primal Black Metal, parts are comparable to the likes of Teitanblood with the unholy, wretched instrumentals bellowing below snarled growls with such a murky production that just roars with blasphemous Extreme Metal extravagance.

This is an astonishing first album and definitely a band not to miss out on, I certainly shall be making sure to pay attention for more ritualistic Death Metal aggression. Pure crypt-digging filthy brilliance. -8/10