### Altar Of Plagues: Teethed glory and injury

#### 17/09/13 || The Duff

Altar of Plagues have been an underground, often background tour de force in the extreme black-atmospheric scene; hailing from Ireland, their first album was a deeply moving post-rock meets epic meets beauty meets harrowing, the follow-up more of the same but with a greater maturity and less of the deadweight.

Outspoken as to the quality of the music being produced by the metal scene these days, leading-guy James Kelly said that this new record was to break new ground within the sub-genre of new-age black metal (or rather dispose of tags altogether).

In hearing “God Alone”, the teaser track released a month prior to the release of “Teethed Glory and Injury”, mixing the band’s trademark ethereal, haunting BM with hardcore more akin to something like Converge, you’d have thought such a self-appraising outlook to have hit the nail on the head.

In listening to the rest of the record, despite occasional resurgences of hardcore and some of the most Isis-y “Oceanic”-era post-rock (“Reflection Pulse Remains” and “A Body Shrouded”), we discover a band that isn’t taking so many fledgling steps but rather adding an extra layer or two to an already well established, very fluid sound, but presenting individual influences into bitesize chunks that help progress individual tracks that play out as miniature, emotional voyages.

Highlights are frequent, often presented with the album’s entirety in mind; the aforementioned Isis influence, the downplayed yet somehow majestic, breathtaking closing of the record (or the whole final track), reminding one of Red Sparowes, the opening chill of “A Remedy and a Fever”, the epic eeriness of “Twelve Was Ruin” at the mid-section, and many more – to pinpoint sections would be doing the complete work a disservice, an honest blend of Gaelic influence, black metal, doom, post-rock, drone and despondency.

Once more we are treated to atmospheric vocals sans the backing of instruments, but this time integrated well within the album’s entirety, not so much a glaring inadequacy (the aforementioned deadweight of “White Tombs”, where such comprised nearly one whole track), and where these tormented vocals lead on is truly one of the most captivating sections of the record, giving way to deeply moving croons with soothing, drone backdrop – perhaps an inappropriate comparison, I would compare it to the majestic lows of Ulver’s “Eitttlane”, although nothing musical comes close to matching that piece of work in my mind.

As with many atmospheric bands, the moments on the album where the music is very sparse are many, but it seems the balance this time has been struck perfectly whereas on the debut the record was certainly left struggling towards the end; we also have something of a greater diversity than the sophomore, “Mammal”. Where originally I thought the band had found its sound, now, with these extra musical ventures, I am left questioning. The mix of synth, melody, abrasive guitars, horns (I think?), accompanying, inventive drums, is all played out very naturally, nothing is overthought, and it all clocks in at a very comfortable playing time.

Every record thus far has pretty much been a masterpiece, but this here I think stands as Altar of Plagues’ finest achievement. They have compromised the viciousness of their sound by making a fine example of progressive black metal, or simply a bold, musical listening experience, a work of art that is very rich, moving and brilliantly put together.

- Information
- Released: 2013
- Label: Profound Lore Records
- Website: www.altarofplagues.com
- Band
- Dave Condon: bass, vocals
- Johnny King: drums
- James Kelly: guitars, keyboards, vocals

- Tracklist
- 01. Mills
- 02. God Alone
- 03. A Body Shrouded
- 04. Burnt Year
- 05. Twelve Was Ruin
- 06. A Remedy and a Fever
- 07. Scald Scar of Water
- 08. Found, Oval and Final
- 09. Reflection Pulse Remains