ALTAR OF OBLIVION - Grand Gesture Of Defiance
October 19, 2012, 11 years ago
(Shadow Kingdom)
Man, this band does doom metal up right. With a rocking yet sombre approach, these guys have one foot firmly rooted in trad traditions that we all know and love—soaring vocals, dramatic guitar work, somewhat blocky production—but also add in lots of slower tempos, longer songs, and a general feeling of, yes, this is motherfucking important doom happening here. This Denmark-based band dropped full-length number one three years ago but you’d kinda think that everything they do is from the ’80s in a way. And it’s not a hokey way or a cloying way, it’s just that metal that is this unabashedly blinders-on is really a rarity these days, and the first three songs alone are so catchy and filled with metal majesty that this is really one worth seeking it for fans of everything from TROUBLE to MERCYFUL FATE. Which is, like, everyone, no? And the whole thing is wrapped up in a smart, economical 35 minutes, which eliminates the fatigue that usually accompanies metal this thespian. Good stuff, timeless in a way, and with so much love for the art of metal it just drips out of the speakers.
