ALBUM REVIEW: Malignant Altar – Realms Of Exquisite Morbidity

MALIGNANT ALTAR unleash their debut album on December 10th via Dark Descent Records. Judging by their demos, this should be something revoltingly heavy.

Weird synths open the album with a disconcerting atmosphere before bludgeoning riffs and punishing drums open a chasm of ichorous horror with a truly morbid sound. Wickedly dense production values lend to the sludgy, crushing heaviness of the bands mid-tempo and percussive hooks which deliver a mind-warping blow of utter putridity. While the instrumentals may seem odious enough, when the malignant growls of the vocalist join, the band go into overdrive with their sonic assault of rancid Death Metal that reeks with its rotten stench of the crypt. The hammering drum performance is varied but consistent, allowing the battery to be relentless but never feel dull, with a very precise execution that gives a solid backbone to the meaty cacophony of riffs at hand which do not let us down. Picking up where the demos left off, it seems the return of Malignant Altar will obliterate all.

Knowing when to be primitive, often utilising simplistic but fantastically brutish musicianship, the band are not afraid to have some tasteful lead work or more jarring riffs to showcase some eccentricity which furthers the volatile yet regressive heaviness that they deliver so ruthlessly. Tarry riffs lurk in the shadows before pulverising drums break into a more expansive atmosphere while the vocalists punctual grunts hold the instrumental barrage together, this is one of those cases where a clear production sounds filthy because the music is so well written to convey a swamp-dwelling sludge that is still of high quality as Death Metal and doesn’t forgo a good sound. This balance of clarity and putrescence along with their doomy yet still ferocious songwriting is likely a huge factor in why Malignant Altar are considered one of the forerunners of fetidness, deservedly so.

Dragging us further into an abyss of murky morbidity, the nauseating hooks creep into the brain allowing maximum catchiness bang ones skull to while keeping that slow, drudging intensity in monolithic form. Occasionally picking things up to a more frenzied sound, especially around any scathing lead-work, there is dynamics but the crawling pace of the record is very clearly at the epicentre. This does not feel overly repetitive, perhaps because of the sheer enjoyability or the records 35 minute running time, perhaps a little of each. The main thing is, this album retains its impact and launches from strength to strength throughout its foul descent into the grave which is certainly gripping. Revel in rotten ecstasy.

A magnificent opus of rot-drenched splendour that will have all fans of Death Metal reeling in disgust at its sheer brutality. The debut album from Malignant Altar is certainly a sickeningly excellent listen from start to end.