Phonebook Eater 7/10

“Mammal” is an innovative, brave, experimental, and extremely gloomy piece of music.

Altar of Plagues have been a pretty obscure Atmospheric Black Metal band until the release “Mammal” came out, and people started knotting heads in pleasure, or more accurately, started paying attention, very closely, to the music. This latest release might not be the most groundbreaking album of Black Metal, but it certainly is innovative, brave, experimental, and finally, extremely dim.

These musicians aren’t exactly experienced, as a matter of fact there are pretty new to the music scene, coming from a place where isolation among musicians is frequent, Ireland. They are obviously a new band, and its great to hear that. But what is also obvious are the influences from old, famous Atmospheric Black Metal bands such as Burzum, but also from Blackgaze acts that have been getting very popular over the last few years. Altar Of Plagues are a band that can create atmosphere like only a few BM bands can: it can be utterly grim, at times even minimalistic, but then they would explode into a gloomy hook, featuring hammering drums, painful, emotional shrieking vocals, and a surprisingly well produced sound. Post-Rock influences are noticeable in more than a few spots, using interesting samples, some synthesizers to make some ambience, and unusual instrumentation in the eerier moments.

As I mentioned, “Mammal” is an extremely dreary, visceral, dark album, with tons of themes such as death and helplessness echoing like crazy all over the place. It would have been even more effective, though, if the four long tracks were more consistent and somewhat memorable: nothing can be said however about the 18 minute opener “Neptune Is Dead”, the most complete, emotional, brutal, but also most beautiful track, with multiple moods that constantly morph, always with the nastiest attitude. “Feather And Bone” and “All Life Converges To Some Center” have certainly their moments but are at some times inconsistent and I just am not crazy about them in some points, despite being good songs. But the third track, “When The Sun Drowns Into The Ocean”, is an impressive piece of art, a reminiscent, instrumental, eight minute post-rock track that is tense as well and extremely experimental, other than having a quite unusual flow.

“Mammal” is a really enjoyable LP that ought to bring Altar Of Plagues onto a whole new level. Another gem of metal music in 2011, I know that I’ll be looking forward to what this band does next and what they just did, at the end of the year when listing the top metal albums.

Conor Fynes 'White Tomb' - Altar Of Plagues (8/10)

Looking into the numerous EPs by what might be called Ireland's response to Wolves In The Throne Room, Altar Of Plagues' debut full-length 'White Tomb' had some high expectations from me before going into it. After having heard great acclaim concerning the band's fifty minute opus as well as some positive experiences with the band's dynamic take on post-black metal, the bar was set fairly high, and although I haven't found myself entirely blown away by everything the record has to offer, Altar Of Plagues does deliver here. Divided into four winding pieces of experimental and highly atmospheric black metal, 'White Tomb' takes a while to get into, but it has been a journey worth taking.

Altar Of Plagues first came across my radar as being just another one of those black metal bands that throws a few post-rock elements into their music, then calls it a day. Their extended play 'Sol' really changed that few I had though; hearing ample doses of melody and powerful songwriting style really set the band apart from the typical 'grim' black metal act. 'White Tomb' follows this sound up quite well, but tends to drag the compositions out, giving them much more time to build and muster. With soundscapes thrown into the middle of the tracks that sometimes last for several minutes, there is a great bit of dynamic and rest from the heavier parts.

Although there is good reason for Altar Of Plagues to fall underneath the 'black metal' label, a fair amount of has more to do with post-rock than anything else. Often the band will gradually switch between harsh tremolo picking, vocal rasps and blast beats into a soothing flanger of guitars. The transitions are handled fairly smoothly, although it may have been nice to hear a little more combination of the two, instead of keeping the sounds distinct and separate. Of the two styles, I find myself more drawn towards the darker, heavier aspect of Altar Of Plagues; they really manage to take what I previously thought was a dying style and play it with passion. The post-rock elements are fairly minimalistic and take a while longer to warm up to, and it can feel like some of the build ups go on for too long, without enough of a pay-off to warrant it.

Parts of 'White Tomb' certainly tread into the realm of dark ambient, so should one be looking out for a record that keeps the energy high, be forewarned. The album has impressed me as an incredibly dynamic and atmospheric piece of black metal however, surely putting Ireland on the map for this particular style of extreme metal.

Conor Fynes 'Through The Cracks Of The Earth' - Altar Of Plagues (6/10)

The first official EP of the Irish black metal group Altar Of Plagues, 'Through The Cracks Of The Earth' shows the band at a less refined stage than their later productions, naturally. Despite this, the band's sound is already very identifiable, and the trademark sludgy tone of the music swings heavily here. Making good use of dynamic and unexpected elements, Altar Of Plagues makes a good first real bout here, but in comparison with their later work, the band had not yet fully developed a grasp on their style.

While there are five tracks here, there are only three technical songs; the two remainders being aesthetic supplements to the main bodies of work. After a fairly unremarkable- dare I say, boring- introduction, the band leaps into the first track, 'I Am The Offering'. Immediately, the listener is beaten down with a barrage of black metal fundamentals (blastbeats, tremolo picking) although the vocals are quite a bit growlier than the usual blackened serving. While the song flows with intention, the musicianship and performance doesn't feel quite as tight as it could be, although the ferocity is kept intact. Where the EP really shines however, is during the lighter portions of the music, where the band is allowed to build up complex instrumental arrangements. 'Cast To The Seas' shows the lighter side of Altar Of Plagues in it's best element, making excellent use of cello in a very dark interlude piece. The two final songs are much more based in an instrumental format than 'I Am The Offering', and as a result, make up the real highlight of the album.

While Altar Of Plagues would do much better for themselves with their second EP 'Sol', 'Through The Cracks Of The Earth' is quite a good dose of black metal from the Emerald Isle.

Conor Fynes 'Mammal' - Altar Of Plagues (9/10)

Unless you are into the black metal or post-rock scenes, there's a good chance you may not have yet heard of this band from the rainy Irish isle. In 2009, a trio called Altar of Plagues released their debut album 'White Tomb', which has since gone on to become something of an underground classic for its startling atmosphere, textures and epic take on the black metal style. As can even be heard from each EP, Altar of Plagues continues to take their ambitious style of metal onward, constantly modifying, refining, and emphasizing aspects of their sound. As one would might have been led to believe anyway, Altar of Plague's eagerly awaited sophomore record 'Mammal' takes the band another step in the right direction, finally pushing them to becoming one of the greatest acts the contemporary black or post- metal realms have to offer. While there is bound to be heated debate concerning whether or not this second album is any 'better' than the first, Altar of Plagues does give the impression that they seek to topple everything they have done in the past with 'Mammal', and while this might be argued by some, the band has found their first masterpiece with this one.

Like 'White Tomb', 'Mammal' is around fifty minutes long, broken into four long compositions, with a somewhat shorter third track. One can only assume that this similarity is intentional, and it seems as if the band seeks to right some wrongs they had with their first album. There is obviously a sense of continuity here where 'White Tomb' left off, but 'Mammal' is certainly more than some half-witting sequel. Instead, Altar of Plagues has taken many of the issues I had with their debut and touched them up, giving a more intentioned feel to each texture and sound. Also, the less abrasive post-rock and ambient passages here have been given more depth to them in terms of sound and timbre. Maybe the greatest improvement heard on 'Mammal' though is the production, which is still going to cross most people as being raw as hell, but there is an added vastness to the sound here that helps the instruments leap out of their shells. Of particular note, percussionist Johnny King really seems to have stepped up his game here, switching from jazzy cymbal worship to some of the most aggressive drum barrages I have ever heard, seemingly without any effort at all.

Ironically, the thing that seems to have experienced the least amount of development is the songwriting and compositions themselves. The style of Altar of Plagues is left fairly untouched, but that does not rob 'Mammal' of any power. The band plays an epic style of post-metal that generally relies on the systematic repetition and buildup of ideas, dynamic between abrasive black metal and post-rock, and interspersed sections of ambient noise. The music is kept within a very dark mood throughout, but it is never malefic in nature, rather instead a musical exploration of human woe. The balance between the band's three big compositional elements (black metal, post-rock, soundscapes) is done in such a way that each gear of sound compliments the other as they shift. By the end of the record, there is the overbearing sense that these dark emotions have been unraveled and set on display. Suffice to say, there is no surprise why the music of Altar of Plagues has been described as a 'soundtrack to the apocalypse'.

'Mammal' may not completely overshadow its predecessor in every way, but for the first time, I am getting the impression from the band that they have largely reached their potential as an act, as is evident from the equally moving moments of heaviness and lighter arrangement. With the runt of the litter here still being a relatively long eight minutes though, there's plenty of indication that 'Mammal' is not an album that will instantly charm with certainty. Rather- much like a sunrise- the brilliance of Altar of Plagues shines clearly over time.

Conor Fynes 'Tides' - Altar Of Plagues (7/10)

Even a few years ago, the genre of black metal was considered a bastion of purity. Not in the slight sense that the themes and topics covered by the underground style were 'pure' or 'sacred' in nature, but the genre was generally kept on it's own; the mere idea of tampering it with other sounds and styles was blasphemy. Years have past since then, and it's bands like the Ireland-based Altar of Plagues that are debasing the misconception that black metal cannot be successfully crossed over. Coming to the scene's attention after the release of a strong debut full-length 'White Tomb,' the band has released this two song extended play as a follow up. While a double track offering may seem like nothing more than a weak afterthought to any full-length, these two songs are fifteen and twenty minutes long, respectively. Adding up to approximately thirty five minutes in length, there's no doubt that 'Tides' can be considered an album and independent work of it's own.

The two epics 'Atlantic Light' and 'The Weight Of All' comprise the length of 'Tides.' In describing the music of Altar Of Plagues, the sound is akin to that of the wave of depressive black metal in the United States. Projects like Xasthur share alot in common with this band, although Altar Of Plagues definately seems to distinguish itself with a more post-metal leaning than most black metal out there. While the first secttion of 'Atlantic Light' certainly falls into the DSBM category, it isn't long before the prevailing black metal sound gives way to more of a post-metal and sludge vibe. All the while, the music keeps the same flow to it, which is proof right away that black metal works well when coupled with other genres. The production is dense, rough and noisy, but to an extent, it seems to work for the sludgy style.

While the unrelenting repetition and minimalism of the music does lend it a very hypnotic feel, parts of each song do get the feeling that they overstay their welcome a bit. It's not uncommon for the same riff to play minutes at a time, and while there are developments made to the sound every once in a while to keep things interesting, a little bit more variety in the sound here would have done wonders for the product.

Altar Of Plagues has definately found a niche for themselves in the black metal scene, even though their career has only apparently begun. While 'Tides' seems to be a bit long for the relatively low amount of distinct musical ideas here, each motif is used beautifully, and is quite strong. This is an interesting mix of depressive black and post metal, and a fan of either style should check out this potent crossover.