Status: Single
Country: IE
Signup Date: 11/9/2006
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Friday, April 03, 2009
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From "The Dust Returned" e-zine;
After a tasteful pair of EPs, Ireland's Altar of Plagues
issue their debut full-length through Profound Lore records, and if you
were a fan of their brand of swelling ambient and melodic, melancholic
black metal then you are unlikely to be disappointed with this.
White Tomb
consists of two tracks, each divided into two sections, and clocks in
just beneath 50 minutes. "Earth Pt. I: As a Womb" sets off the album
with a crisp grace; a monotonous, progressing synth saturated in sparse
guitar plucking and then a crescent of feedback, migrating into a blast
beat and wall of driving chords beyond the 2 minute mark. The track
wanders through numerous sequences of chords, all are very pleasant if
at times repetitious. "Earth Pt. II: As a Furnace" is even more
breathtaking, with some scintillating aggression and lush acoustic/folk
segments, a post-rock edge throughout much of its discourse. "Through
the Collapse: Watchers Restrained" opens with some of the heaviest
black metal on the album, but then devolves into a creeping, minimalist
landscape of snarled spoken word over chagrin inducing black doom.
"Through the Collapse: Gentian Truth" is a majestic piece which winds
across the morning hills like a mist, again breaking down into
minimalism, but in its case a sort of ambient with distant
vocals...perhaps the most telling moment on the album.
The imagery conjured through Altar of Plagues
is not one of abandoned forests and mountains, but the dark and
forgotten underbelly of urbane, mundane existence, transformed into a
dark beauty often overlooked. Listen to this as you overlook an empty
city at 5:00 am sunrise. This isn't something one is often exposed to
through this medium of metal music, and it's certainly this band's
forte. White Tomb also sounds
quite good, the guitars are immersive throughout. The vocals tortured.
The drums flowing and expressive. It's a difficult journey to leave
once you set foot down its path, and superior to their previous EPs,
which had already promised at a rare potential.
Link; http://autothrall.blogspot.com/2009/04/altar-of-plagues-white-tomb-2009.html
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From "Doom, the Devil & Demons in music" e-zine;
It seems that black metal's resurgence is coming on strong and in new
and different ways as of late. No longer are bands sticking with the
usual fair of Dimmu Borgir inspired
symphonic orchestrations, lightly frosted with devil or pseudo-devil
worshiping lyrics. Now bands are focusing on more experimental musical
elements like atmosphere (in terms of composition) while crafting songs
about the environment (I'm thinking of Wolves in the Throne Room and Drudkh's newest output). Enter Ireland's Altar of Plagues.
They have melded the subtle atmospherics and stark production qualities
of Scandinavia's best with the ambiance of post-rock's compositional
prowess, and then threw in a little Khanate-esq,
slowed-down wailing, with a dash of sludgy slop to reach the cockles of
any heavy music lover's heart, causing their first full length "White
Tomb" to deliver a definitive statement for heavy music.
The
band mixes together subtle yet stark waves of sound to setup the
vocalist's atonal wail and howl, layered over fast finger picking,
flutters of minor keyboard sounds, and tastefully executed blast beats.
Besides "Through the Collapse: Watchers Restrained," every song clocks
in at over the ten minute mark, and all the songs have passages that
built towards cathartic explosion. "Earth: As a Womb" builds slowly and
eerily and then basically erupts into metered chaos, recedes into
melancholic ambience and then it does it again.
Track 2, "Earth:
As Furnace," uses a similar paradigm as it relies on slow shoe gaze to
set the stage for the bestial crescendos that revert back to
atmospherics, then to blast beats at whim. But the album's most
majestic and at the same time painful track, "Through the Collapse:
Watchers Restrained," uses dissonance to work the listener through gut
wrenching vocal passages similar to Khanate at their most alienating.
The album closes with the somewhat more sludgy sounding "Through the
Collapse: The Gentian Truth," which looks to the horizon in terms of
forging a new sound that takes the best of Pelican, Cult of Luna, and ISIS and twists it into blackened goodness to end the disc.
When
one contemplates Altar of Plague's subject matter on White Tomb, the
apocalyptic portraits of a world doomed to a desolate and un-stoppable
end, it becomes easy to agree that the band's next offering will build
upon and eclipse White Tomb's stunning, yet stark beauty.
Link; http://zxxzooz.blogspot.com/2009/07/album-review-altar-of-plagues-white.html----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Blabbermouth.net;
These days when I read "post-rock" in an album description, I often roll my eyes and chuck the CD to the side. It is just so overused and can mean so many different things that it is barely useful as a descriptor. That little diatribe aside though, it does make sense in certain instances and when it is meant to convey the spacious ambiance and breathtaking beauty of certain facets of a band's sound, such as Ireland's ALTAR OF PLAGUES on an opus like "White Tomb", I quickly realize that I should stop my bitching and just listen. And what a mistake it would have been to chuck "White Tomb" to the side, as it is a magnificent work of melodic black metal and ISIS-esque shoe-gazing atmospherics that is in league with standard-bearers WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM.
The 50-minute album is broken into two parts, but four separate tracks: "Earth (i. As a Womb, ii. As a Furnace)" and "Through the Collapse (i. Watchers Restrained, ii. Gentian Truth)". It is one of those albums where the first serene notes drip with anticipation of the greatness to come. Then an explosion of melodic black metal rips through the air and the intensity increases tenfold. With so many bands now exploring this style to mixed results it is refreshing to hear an album like "White Tomb" that fires on all cylinders and actually sucks you in, keeping you there in rapt attention for the entire ride. It also helps that the production is so strong; giving the songs a lot of punch and making the sounds of each instrument resonate with the listener, both separately and in unison. As an added bonus you get guest vocals from Nathan Misterek (former GRAVES AT SEA), which only raises the level of excellence.
But the reason that "White Tomb" succeeds so gloriously is all in the way that the album moves so effortlessly from beginning to end; every part, every note, every quiet passage, every burst of aggression fits perfectly. During the contemplative moments there is no waiting around for what's to happen next; you are in the moment and embrace it with every fiber of your being. The black metal aggression overwhelms and the moments of KHANATE style doom (complete with terroristic Dubin-esque vocals) get into the bloodstream and paralyze. I could describe specific sections, such as any number of trance-inducing parts, the cold beauty of a lonely plucked guitar string, or the ghost-like choral effects and gut-wrenching, anguished vocals heard during "ii. Gentian Truth" (guess I just did), but "White Tomb" is not an album of parts and pieces; its majesty lies in its holism. It is that rare release where it becomes so obvious that a band has captured a certain magic that transcends sound, performance, and songwriting. Something happened in the studio that is beyond human comprehension.
"White Tomb" is a brilliant work of art; and this coming from someone who can usually only take this kind of thing in small doses. ALTAR OF PLAGUES can consider itself one of the elite expansionist black metal acts, right up there with bands like NACHTMYSTIUM and WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM. It is imperative that you seek it out.
9/10
Scott Alisoglu
Link; http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/showreview.aspx?reviewID=1708
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From MetalIreland.com;
It says much that the best black metal band in Ireland shuns not only the image and the rhetoric, but the limelight also. Not for them the bullet belts and the swagger. Rather, dedication to their craft and discipline in making it superior to each of their previous offerings.
I wonder sometimes if we’ve all moved on and forgotten just how good the ‘Sol’ EP was. It strikes me that this absolute stunner of the Irish underground should still be feted much more, if even by the band themselves. It was a cd that really achieved something. As with all their output - but especially so - it married diverse elements of underground music into a genuinely startling synthesis. If you’re expecting more of that trailblazing, ‘White Tomb’ surprises from the start by toeing a much more orthodox line.
There is little of the ambient, progressive suggestions of the demos as the cd opens. Instead it boasts with new vigour the band’s capability within stricter Black Metal musical boundaries. That’s how ‘Earth As A Tomb’ operates anyhow, with a speeding, cloudbusting pace that’s somehow affirmative and mournful at the same time.
That strange sonic quality is a direct consequence of their mix of black metal with post rock. It’s been flagged up here before on MI, noting that it really shouldnt work. But Altar Of Plagues make it work, and the results are rapidly becoming their calling card.
That’s the story of the two ‘Earth’ tracks, which make up half of this cd. The other half - the ‘Through The Collapse’ duo - is where they set about widening their remit. They’ve done the speedy, droning BM thing with you. Now it’s their turn to go off the radar.
What first strikes you about ‘Through The Collapse: Watchers Restrained’ is the brilliant heaviness, the thickness even, of the guitars. There’s a good dose of the American school in here, with plaintive string bends and drones drawing from the depresso sounds of Xasthur, Leviathan and of course the inevitable Wolves In The Throne Room. You’ll hear them compared to WITTR alot, and to be honest, it’s probably the most accurate comparison at this point in time.
Half way through, it all goes down a gear.New voices make themselves heard, and the band begin to experiment. There’s more space, more air, and a darker, more wretched vibe takes over. Yet once again, the filth is offset, and after plumbing their bleakest caves, ‘Gentian Truth’ reaches for light, with a swelling lilt worthy of Isis. It is altogether superb, and a real testament to both their work ethic and vision. Personally, I think they are capable of yet better again. Time however will bear that one out. As it stands, the guitars on this album are fearsome, and blast a legion of frowning bedroom teethgrinders out of their road, showing them up for the bullshit they are.
This is the sound not only of a real band, but of a real band actually moving the genre on. To think they’re quietly going about it under your nose is a thing to be quietly proud of.
4.2 / 5 - Ciaran Tracey ::: 21/05/09
Link; http://www.metalireland.com/2009/05/21/altar-of-plagues-white-tomb/
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From Teeth of The Divine;
You’ve got to give Chris Bruni and Profound Lore Records some credit - Krallice? Cobalt? Hammers of Misfortune? Portal? Alcest? Amesouers? Tell me that isn’t an elite label based on those releases alone. Well, after raising some eyebrows with the debut EP from this Irish black metal act, Profound Lore has raised the bar again with the debut full length album from Altar of Plagues, and those sporting a hemp clad boner for Wolves in the Throne Rooms’s latest (and deserving) opus, had better pay attention.
White Tomb is 2 parts (split into 4 actual songs), and 50 minutes of organic, ambient black metal played with a taught looseness with hints of shoegazer introspection. Where Wolves in the Throne Room imbue nature’s misty, craggy beauty and damp forests, Altar of Plagues, while still delivering an evocative grandeur and epic, haunting beauty, seems to be more grounded; Not industrial but rusty and brittle- like a barren, human-less landscape in the future after an epidemic infection has wiped out the human race, leaving concrete jungles rotting and deteriorating with foliage. White Tomb is mother-nature reclaiming her territory.
Still, with the same grasp on jangly, shimmering riffage and moments of lengthy introspection and vocal-less instrumentation, the black metal meets post rock analogy is fitting-much to the chagrin of some of you. The 13-minute “Earth i) As a Womb” delicate introduces the album and initially builds and ebbs with undulating patience before unleashing a restrained tremolo picked stanza of epic proportions then settling into a simply jaw dropping, shimmering mid paced section then revisiting the blast beat. As you’d expect, the transition to the 14-minute “Earth ii) As a Furnace” is seamless, balancing soft acoustics and experimental ambience (much more so with “Earth ii) As A Furnace) with muted harsh screams and cascading blast beats.
The 22 minutes of “Through The Collapse: i) Watchers Restrained ii) Gentian Truth” is split with i) The Watcher Restrained being a rangy, jagged, post rock gaited number with a gnarly, grizzly mid section (though the vocal shift is a bit grating). ii) The Gentian Truth” is the albums most melodic and introspective track as its mostly instrumental strumming and a beautiful, steady build that could be a Cult of Luna/Isis track.
While ultimately, Altar of Plagues and Wolves in the Throne room are very similar, Altar of Plagues are slightly less hypnotic and have more of a enigmatic shoegazer vibe to their blackened beauty, which may put off the spike clad corpse painted masses, but wont change the fact that White Tomb (like Black Cascade I Imagine) is going to be on a lot of year end lists.
Link; http://teethofthedivine.com/site/reviews/altar-of-plagues-white-tomb/
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From Blistering.com;
"At times, White Tomb just floors you. Just like Isis did circa Panopticon or Cult of Luna when they’re not fucking around. Yeah, it drifts into metalgaze territory more than once and that’s fine, but that black metal smear gives it more of an edge than any of the aforementioned bands can be bothered with. White Tomb is ragged, apocalyptic (a word we could probably beat into the ground), and highly cinematic. Above all else, it’s an early career defining moment for a band just starting to take a peak out of its Irish homeland.
Conceptually, White Tomb details the endless beating planet earth (i.e. “White Tomb”) has taken the last several centuries and how mankind is content to let its treasured cultures and landmarks die. While it’s nothing new, the ferocity and utter conviction in which Altar of Plagues lays this out makes almost impossible not to latch onto.
Sonically, wow, I mean, this album is gigantic. Big drums, crushing, in-your-face guitars, and enough open space to make massive chasms in any
soundscape. Plus, there are hints and dabbles of spacey, cryptic melodies in this four-song block (you guessed it: they’re all long) to allow it to hold up well over time.
Some black metal meanderings emerge in brief moments, usually captured in a frenzied blast portion or scathing chord structures. When the band is through with that, the tempo is pulled back and the storm clouds move in. Heck, even a noise/experimental section in “Watchers Restrained” works, and that’s usually the type of nonsense that kills albums like this.
White Tomb simply explodes the sonic boundaries developed by the metalgaze scene. It’s more than that, obviously and its tenacity and all-consuming apocalyptic aura will bring anyone down. Massive."
[8.5/10]
Link; http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/15642/tempidx/4/menuid/2
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From Terrorizer magazine #182:
"When you've been together barely 2 years and have already earned opening slots for Mayhem and Wolves in The Throne Room, not to mention a recording deal with one of the metal worlds coolest labels, then you must be doing something right, as as "White Tomb" proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, Altar of Plagues most definitley are. If you were lucky enough to catch the Irishmen at one of the aforementioned gigs or picked up a "Sol" EP last year, you'll know what to expect; bouts of furious, anguished black metal interspersed with epic, Isis-like work-outs in slow-burning tension, which inevitably boils over into more frothing bm. Despite the distant muted production, which dampens the dynamics and, the vivid contrast of the bands live sound, as well as some performance issues which suggest this was rushed out, "White Tomb" is a thrilling work, and one of the most promising debuts since "Diadem of 12 stars"
[8/10]
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From Aquarius Records, new arrivals list #316:
"Altar of Plagues hail from Ireland, not exactly the first place you think of when it comes to atmospheric black metal. But here they are with their full length debut, White Tomb, which finds the band expertly bringing together the epic sweep of groups like Wolves in the Throne Room and Asunder with that style of Isis-informed metallic post rock we all love. Throw in an awesomely guttural black metal rasp, a couple moments of Khanate styled throat abuse, spaced out ambience with cleanly strummed guitars, and an excellent balance of punishing blasts and more lumbering, slowly moving drums, and you've got one hell of an
introduction to this previously unknown (to us, anyway) group.
Consisting of two very long movements, "Earth" and "Through The Collapse", made up of two songs each, Altar of Plagues' lyrical agenda, though not printed here, seems to be similar to that of WITTR's brand of spiritually informed conservation, where humankind will vanish under the indifferent and regenerative hoof of Mother Nature.
The two songs in the "Earth" suite, "As A Womb" and "As A Furnace" start with a beautiful piece of slowly building depressive guitar ambience before heading into a super heavy black metal jam that does not sound too far removed from the godly Atlanta based group Withered (who, for some reason, we have never reviewed). Things slow down to a cool, spaced out Mogwai-ian moment that links the two songs, as multiple voices combine before ascending once more to a blissful post metal dirge. As this begins to sink in, we are again introduced to heavy, psychedelically informed black metal that suitably brutalizes you before fading off into the distance as layers of treated guitar ambience combine into a whirlwind of buzzing, which is soon overtaken by a sepia-tinged, slightly disquieting outro that immediately segues into the next song suite.
"Watchers Restrained" is where things eventually slow to a glacial pace as disturbing, very Alan Dubin-esque vocals spit out line after line of bile while Altar of Plagues lays a foundation that manages to be both super dense and quite spacious. After being pummeled for a bit, the band pull back and the song fades into walls of crumbling decay that bring to mind the cool Cities Last Broadcast album we reviewed a few lists back.
Album closer, "Gentian Truth" takes you on one last journey through a melancholy psych metal hinterland, before ending in an atmospheric soundscape quite similar to the way the album began, giving White Tomb an awesome cyclical feel that will undoubtedly bring out more truths with each listen.
Thank the always right-on Profound Lore label for unleashing this mighty beast upon the world, as White Tomb comes as a nice surprise from a group we certainly hope to hear more from in the future..."
Link; http://www.aquariusrecords.org
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From the Daily News, P.A. :
Altar of Plagues sound less (way less) like their Irish countrymen U2 or even death metal warriors Primordial and more like something that crawled out of the Pacific Northwest woods or some grimy New York garage, with heads spinning from the whirlwind of noise.
Basing their debut ful-length on the manmade destruction of the Earth, this four-part epic wilblanket your head with a buzzing nest of post-metal, black metal and doom drone, kind of like they’re making a Wolves in the Throne Room/ISIS/Khanate sundae. Throw in some Sunn0))) sprinkles just for fun! Broken into a pair of two-part tragedies “Earth” and “Through the Colapse,” this power trio storms alover this record, building heavy atmospheric pressure and dropping human head-size hail chunks of melodic black and ambiance over the first half, before dissolving into psychiatric pun ishment, ghostly feedback and vicious lapses into Alan Dubin-style ranting over the final two passages. It’s a smart, calculated, frightening statement, which makes “White Tomb” yet another must-hear from Profound Lore and the metal genre in general. ( BK )
Link: www.zwire.com
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From Exclaim.ca;
This comes closer to what many were probably expecting upon hearing word of the supposed black metal/post-rock fusion of Wolves in the Throne Room. Resembling that description much more accurately than the aforementioned act, White Tomb is spacious and sprawling, featuring two epic suites broken up into four untitled sections. Over the course of the album, Altar of Plagues touch on a variety of influences, allowing for experimentation when appropriate, as well as a more straightforward melodic black metal feel, especially early on. As the album progresses, more dynamic elements reveal themselves, not the least being a discombobulated noise/doom breakdown that resembles Khanate very obviously. However, its appearance is sudden enough and well used, preventing its presence from coming across as too contrived. The strength of Altar of Plagues' approach to black metal is their all-encompassing stylistic range — they seem insistent on avoiding pigeonholing without giving the impression of overeager youngsters throwing too many influences into the melting pot. They are one of the first must-hear bands from Ireland since Primordial, and this is very promising for a full-length debut. (Profound Lore)
Link;http://www.exclaim.ca/musicreviews/latestsub.aspx?csid1=131&csid2=870&fid1=37973
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From autothrall.blogspot.com;
After a tasteful pair of EPs, Ireland's Altar of Plagues issue their debut full-length through Profound Lore records, and if you were a fan of their brand of swelling ambient and melodic, melancholic black metal then you are unlikely to be disappointed with this.
White Tomb consists of two tracks, each divided into two sections, and clocks in just beneath 50 minutes. "Earth Pt. I: As a Womb" sets off the album with a crisp grace; a monotonous, progressing synth saturated in sparse guitar plucking and then a crescent of feedback, migrating into a blast beat and wall of driving chords beyond the 2 minute mark. The track wanders through numerous sequences of chords, all are very pleasant if at times repetitious. "Earth Pt. II: As a Furnace" is even more breathtaking, with some scintillating aggression and lush acoustic/folk segments, a post-rock edge throughout much of its discourse. "Through the Collapse: Watchers Restrained" opens with some of the heaviest black metal on the album, but then devolves into a creeping, minimalist landscape of snarled spoken word over chagrin inducing black doom. "Through the Collapse: Gentian Truth" is a majestic piece which winds across the morning hills like a mist, again breaking down into minimalism, but in its case a sort of ambient with distant vocals...perhaps the most telling moment on the album.
The imagery conjured through Altar of Plagues is not one of abandoned forests and mountains, but the dark and forgotten underbelly of urbane, mundane existence, transformed into a dark beauty often overlooked. Listen to this as you overlook an empty city at 5:00 am sunrise. This isn't something one is often exposed to through this medium of metal music, and it's certainly this band's forte. White Tomb also sounds quite good, the guitars are immersive throughout. The vocals tortured. The drums flowing and expressive. It's a difficult journey to leave once you set foot down its path, and superior to their previous EPs, which had already promised at a rare potential.
Link; http://autothrall.blogspot.com/2009/04/altar-of-plagues-white-tomb-2009.html
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From The Rock Blogger;
In what can be described as one of the most powerful releases of 2009 so far, black metal, dark ambient and doom elements merge into one singular, apocalyptic vision. These natives of Cork, Ireland have produced a monolithic epic featuring dystopian lyrics and an atmospheric approach that rivals Wolves in the Throne Room and the latest in their “post-black” ilk. What distinguishes AOP is the sheer scope of their debut. Not only are the black metal barrages relentless and absorbing, they also go to distant places, conjuring up vivid spectacles of collapse as they shift in pacing, rhythm and composition.
Each of these four tracks are long and winding, charting a shadowy course through expansive ambiance, roaring percussion and eerie arpeggios. When the band is not busy bringing down a hail of debris, they are seeped in black pools of sonic molasses, channeling the caustic doom aesthetic of Khanate. The vocals are also noteworthy, as they possess both the sinister howls we would expect from the genre coupled with greater lyrical clarity and a gripping theatricality that is as sincere as it is tragic.
Like any great metal album with progressive ambition, White Tomb is as transcendent as it is agressive. The densely layered riffs have a haunting lift, producing trance-like sensations. Its lyrical images also suit this atmosphere perfectly, as they air lamentations at the falling cities and peoples around them. As the solemn album art suggests, this work draws attention to urbanization and the tremendous sense of loss and alienation it produces. Altar of Plagues, a metaphorical tribute to the destructive pillars of our modern society, is consistently profound. AOP have used the “post-black” aesthetic to illustrate chaotic fallout far more effectively and personally than any disaster movie or news report could convey. It achieves this not by describing the literal effects of catastrophes, but by exploring the inner trauma and turmoil that rages in the souls of men facing such prospects. In short, this is a timely and evocative masterpiece.
Link: http://www.therockblogger.com/altar-of-plagues-white-tomb-review/
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From Sputnikmusic.com
Rating 4.5 / Superb
In creating 'White Tomb', Irish 'post-black metallers' Altar Of Plagues have realised a vision that is stunningly telling in a current world that many would believe seemingly lies on the brink of apocalypse. Global warming, swine flu, pollution, terrorism, all of these things breed fear and anxiety in a culture that feeds on news and television. Simple things escalated to proportions that would seem ridiculous on the outside, yet oh so real for the people in the midst of it. For many, this generation is the beginning of the end – 'White Tomb' isn't the music for the end of the world, it isn't for the destruction of civilisation; it's the aftermath, the cold, desolate remains of mankind.
And as the soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic world, 'White Tomb' is about as cold and cruel as music comes. Similarities with genre contemporaries like Wolves In The Throne Room are unavoidable, but there is so much more to Altar Of Plagues music than just ambient black metal. 'White Tomb' is a gorgeously intricate beast, taking elements from actual post-rock, sludge and doom metal, then spreading all of it on top of a mostly depressing and atmospheric black metal backdrop – the result is truly extraordinary, resulting in one of the best metal albums of the year so far. The dynamics are stunning, even compared to the best of their contemporaries, the structure is beyond impressive, flowing and smooth, yet ever-changing, and the general sound is just right. There are no odd aspects despite the varied and wide range of influences, the music is always strong and memorable – trance inducing yet exciting and bombastic, its an album that successfully brings together many different things to create one amazingly solid entity that never stops moving or loses focus.
At near fifty minutes long, 'White Tomb' strives on atmosphere and feel, yet has so much to offer beyond just that. I could go on for an untold amount of time describing the most amazing parts of the album, like almost the entirety of the second song but especially the second half, where at one minute a destructive black-metal section contrasts sinister screams with low aggressive growls, before fading into dense one-chord black metal riffs that reminds instantly of Wolves In The Throne Room, except with a deeply atmospheric and beautiful post-rock arpeggio melody floating in the back ground. This all fades into a quiet post-rock movement that draws the listener into a slow discordant sludge metal piece that brings the song to a final conclusion. There's an untold amount of depth and creativity in the album, with a sense of variety and change that nonetheless keeps to the post-apocalyptic atmosphere without fail.
It's pointless trying to describe every brilliant moment in detail, as the album is so dense and varied that every listener will have his own personal highlights. Generally, the quality is superb, with only the odd minor hiccup which is only that maybe a section lasts a minute too long after picking up pace, but the fact is that the album is just so powerful and genuine that they make no difference to the final effect. 'White Tomb' is a terrifyingly touching album and one that relates to the anxiety of the world as we know it almost scarily well. If this is truly the soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic world, then it's going to be a beautifully humbling sight indeed.
Link; http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_30457
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From roadburn.wordpress.com
Album of the Day
Roadburn’s Sarah Kitteringham wrote five Album of the day reviews for the week of June 7th to June 13th, including Absu’s S/T, Coalesce’s Ox, Kylesa’s Static Tensions, Wolves in the Throne Room’s Malelovent Grain, and starting off with Altar of Plagues’ debut, White Tomb:
Black metal is experiencing a strong resurgence as of late, heralding bands which meld elements of their Scandinavian forefathers with more experimental concepts. A plethora of new bands with ambient, jazz, doom and blackened elements from across the metal spectrum have gained notoriety, pumping new life into a genre wrought with stereotypes.
Integrating the frantic production of Scandinavian black metal with the ambience of post metal is Ireland’s Altar of Plagues, whose debut album White Tomb is a definitive statement regarding the abilities of the genre.
Though certainly not their magnum opus, the four-track debut full length is a clear indication that the trio is capable of great things. Melding barren soundscapes with atonal vocals that screech and howl mutedly, each song (sans one track) runs steadily past the ten minute mark. Opener ‘Earth: As a Womb’ builds hauntingly, integrating dense layers of keyboards and feedback until it explodes with precise tremolo picking and blast beats, than adding muted guttural vocals which howl and undulate.
Following track ‘Earth: As a Furnace’ builds upon both concepts, reverting from hypnotic shoe gaze to bestial brutality at whim.
The albums highlight, the majestic ‘Through the Collapse: Watchers Restrained’, is next, sporting the most powerful and pulsating dissonance on the disc. Closing with easiest to consume ‘Through the Collapse: The Gentian Truth’, which evokes a latter day hybrid of Pelican and ISIS, the disc ends triumphantly. Considering White Tombs evokes apocalyptic visions of a dying world, it’s clear that whatever comes next from the gifted group shall be atmospheric, gorgeous and grandiose.
Sarah Kitteringham
4:24 PM
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