White Tomb

Metal as a musical genre in itself is incredibly interesting, and one of my biggest fascinations about it is how diverse it can sound, I feel that other musical genres have to use other ways to promote elements that complement or surround their music, such as the use of lyrics or aesthetics, although of course these are also used in metal. What I want to specifically mention is emotions, there are certain types of music that I associate with a certain state of mind, however in metal I feel that there is always a music for every moment and I think one of the reasons for this is the ability of the artists to transmit something different between them despite using the same kind of instruments over and over again.

White Tomb is undoubtedly the vision of an artist who manages to capture her desolate vision, the music on this debut manages to create a dark and oppressive place, although with brief flashes of charm and warmth. Altar of Plagues' music takes many elements from post-metal or shoegaze and yet they are one of the few bands that including these elements in the metal music are highly respected by the general opinion, maybe this is because they use these influences as a means and not as an end, the desolate guitars create a denser and more depressing atmosphere as they open the way to the composition, encouraging the calmer moments and serving as leads that by themselves are worth the listen.

White Tomb is divided into four tracks but can easily be categorised as one and the same, the markedly oppressive ambient line is found constantly throughout the album, it feels like a journey but with no departure or final destination, the most prominent drone segments are these instrusive and suffocating spaces while those closer to "post" have that melancholic sound that sometimes manages to conquer me with its beauty and manages to irradiate light in such a prominently dark album. When the songs pick up speed and aggression (usually preceded by a strong melodic build up) they are incredibly raw, and rather than focusing on the riffs they focus on the leads, thus encouraging the relevance of the atmosphere.

As anyone can appreciate it is an album very dominated by the prominence of the guitars, they are used in different ways and at different levels but their relevance is constant and they elevate the vision of the landscapes created by the powerful atmosphere, if I had to say a negative part concerning the instruments it would be the drums, played by the same mastermind of the band James Kelly, and which has a somewhat sloppy style, not that it is not competent, but it feels ungratifying and more if we compare it with the rest of the performances of James himself, who shines on vocals along with Dave Condon, between the two of them they offer a varied and outstanding performance with different registers and vocal styles that add more depth to each musical segment.

I've been listening to this album quite a bit over the last few days, and while I can mostly get its good things out of it, I think it's an album that depends on the emotional state of the listener, it's so cold and melancholic at times that it seems to project that misery and anguish for fifty minutes, that makes it sometimes a bit longer than I would like, feeling that some segments are a bit artificially lengthened, but I think that's more my perception and I think that every second of the work is composed with the exactness that the band wanted it to be.

Special mention to the ending of "Through the Collapse: Gentian Truth" that manages to cause me a mass of emotions during the last seven minutes, the closest an ending has ever made me feel the same as the end of Pink Floyd's "Sheep". And like this comparison I could try to bring out more but they would end up being futile words, this work has too much soul to simply write about it, you have to listen to it and above all feel it.

Altar of Plague’s White Tomb is an exercise in droning and dissonant black metal that succeeds in conveying a decaying urban vibe throughout its duration. If you are a fan of moody and atmospheric black metal then you are unlikely to be disappointed.

White Tomb is a monolithic opus; with four lengthy tracks clocking in at 50 minutes it is definitely an album that demands a certain degree of patience and perseverance. The sound of White Tomb is more or less straightforward atmospheric black metal with a degree of post rock influences such as the focus on the climax and the smooth transitions between the harsher and softer sections. Of course one will instantly cite Wolves in the Throne Room as an influence upon them although I think it would be unfair to compare them to anything more than a similarity of style. Altar of Plagues do definitely share certain stylistic characteristics with the aforementioned band however the sound of Altar of Plagues is far more apocalyptic and destructive. White Tomb serves as a lament to humanities inevitable destruction in the face of a collapsing ecosystem.

The four tracks here succeed in creating an authentic and desolate atmosphere, despite their lengths nothing on White Tomb ever feels stretched out and overblown, everything fits perfectly together and the long track lengths no doubt help in crafting the atmosphere on display here. The guitar work is immaculate throughout, taking a droning variety on the standard black metal trope and mixing some more melodic sections in, the guitar work may not be overly complex but it needn’t be, for what they are they are nothing short of excellent. The distortion is sublime being really gritty and abrasive and adding more to the apocalyptic atmosphere. The guitars are constantly shifting like the oceans tide drawing comparisons to bands of the atmospheric sludge variety such as Isis and Neurosis. The way in which White Tomb is structured in particular draws the most comparison to these bands, the post rock inspired climaxes are here and the way in which everything flows carries a definite post metal vibe to it.

Black metal to me is structured similar to ambient music by the way in which much of conventional song writing is discarded in favor of an attempt to build atmosphere and often to create a sense of darkness and dread. White Tomb allows oneself to be suffused in a dark and oppressive atmosphere of intense black metal. This isn’t just one chord repeated in your face for the whole length, instead the whole thing moves like the oceans tide constantly shifting and morphing when needs be. Altar of Plagues knows quite well the basis of ambient music and has created a very compelling and destructive piece of art with White Tomb. It seems futile to describe in detail every brilliant aspect to White Tomb because it’s just so dense and varied that every listener will have their own personal highlights. For me the highlight is undoubtedly the incredible atmosphere, being one of the most devastatingly bleak and desolate atmospheres I’ve ever heard, because of the atmosphere White Tomb comes off as a soundtrack to the post apocalypse. There’s an overbearing sense of decay and ruin within White Tomb that ensures that it goes down as one of the most harrowing musical experiences of all time.

White Tomb is about as cold and as cruel as black metal can possibly get, the music is raw, harrowing and brooding with absolutely no leanings towards the mainstream. White Tomb takes elements from post rock, drone, ambient and even atmospheric sludge metal and mixes it in with the black metal template to create an utterly harrowing and bleak soundtrack to the apocalypse. The long song lengths may be a turn off for some but for those who are well accustomed to music of this caliber then White Tomb is a lonely trip into the post apocalypse well worth taking.

Some people have this weird idea about how they need to save the earth, that humans are hurting the planet to its core with their carelessness. Such a pro-environmental view is nice and I am sure means well, but the proponents seems to overlook some harsh facts. Humans are only hurting themselves when they destroy their natural resources and when they let the area around them decay. People really are just shitting where they eat and the planet itself is not dying from it, only the beings that live on its surface. If everything was wiped out, this hardened planet would remain strong.

1.
Soft synths and soundscapes emerge from a distant source, establishing a picture of serenity. Then mellow guitar melodies sustain and build and distorted guitars follow; a harbinger of the chaos that will soon come. What is thought to be a normal day in time, is soon to be rudely interrupted.

A devastating surge of dense black metal riffs shatter what fragile sense of peace one could have thought up before. The sound is enormous, encompassing all fields of space and direction; it surrounds you entirely with no way out. The dark minor tones buried within the massive wall of distortion sing a foreboding theme of the inevitable global death. The drums pound with such fervor and distress as all beings run and cower in vain. The resonance all things collapsing around you. The ground below fails before you and you are left with nowhere to hide. The earth is a womb and it is aborting all of creation like an unwanted child. A harsh scream echoes forth, narrating the oncoming cataclysm with such misery and sorrow.

Who will guard these hills?
Those which are abandoned.
Those which are exhausted.
Everything is falling, can you see it?

More vast waves of vicious riffing overlap each other as matter crumbles over each other in the unstoppable chaos. The terror builds, and it feels like a never ending series of ruination. Then a break, a brief moment of respite as clean guitars vamp over a reserved progressive beat. It develops into a louder metal moment, a more tired and agonize set of harsh vocals screams of regret, acknowledging the inevitable deconstruction that is far from over.

2.
Amidst the rubble, there is a moment of rest and recollection for what has survived. A post rock intro opens up, with a 6/8 pattern and softer guitars. That uncomfortable feeling comes back knowing that there is more death to come. Fire spreads and what was once great structures and landmarks are now burning down. The earth is now a furnace, scorching everything to their blacked cores. Harsh distorted riffs sear over the slow beat as the flames build and grow and more tortured screams cry out in woe. The inferno flares and blazes out of control as blast beats and distressing wails echo within the surrounding pyre.

Tear the bark from the trees and build a chariot
and watch the earth return to grain,
as it once was.

A moment of breath, but a vague rumble starts to grow. Then, the greatest light conceive shines brighter than the sun causing the entire surface of the earth to be incinerated and all of those left are consumed by the cleansing fire. Heavy sludge based riffs and thick doom like drumming pummel amounts the fury of the hellfire. Total meltdown on a global scale. The true moment of armageddon.

The fires die down, leaving a single tremolo tone to hold on to itself, like charred embers that would try to remain. What is left is a soft drone of guitar tones and soundscapes, echoing over the ashes and the rubble that is left. Distant cries of anguishes call for salvation or hope, and keeps on crying out to no answer in return.

3.
All sense of a civilized or even the natural world is completely demolished. All is left is arid wastes and barren soil. What things that could still exist after the initial shockwave is left with nothing but broken figures and torn flesh. The collapse is complete, as those left face a surface of death. Dissonant sludge riffs clash into each other like colliding ruins, against a slow doom metal like beat. Twisted vocals inhumanly screech out in bitter torment, describing the finally purging. The atmosphere is searing all matter into dust, and the landscape writhes leaving open fissures into unknowing depths. Everything is swallowed into the abyss as the final monoliths of an arrogant past are dismantled to their foundations. Life ceases to be.

Silence. Desolation.

4.
The earth, purified of all surface life, continues to revolve and exist. The waters, choked with debris slowly washes itself out and the land slowly clears of any previous evidence of the past world. Powerful post rock like riffing along with a slower beat opens the clear sky that were once closed before revealing the new world, devoid of that previous life. The melancholy of the melodies accentuation the bittersweet result of the passing conflict and the ragged harsh vocals speak out the only thing left to observe.

There is a mist that chokes the land.
The waves attack. Relent.
The skies attack,
they come, relentless.

Then an extended instrumental outro plays out to the musical theme that has been utilized throughout the journey that is White Tomb. It is the theme of the earth and the theme that will always remain to be the truth. A descriptive look at the scenario of the earth ridding itself of the corruption above, White Tomb is a masterfully composed narrative of the celestial act of returning to pure neutrality.

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.

Following on from recent reviews of the most excellent albums from English pagan black metallers Winterfylleth and Wodensthrone and Finn(s) October Falls is yet another record sitting in the genre that comes to you with my heartily recommendation. I keep giving out marks like these and people will start thinking there's something dodgy going on here…

"White Tomb" is Ireland's Altar of Plagues debut album and like the aforementioned bands is a pummeling and organic black metal album shot straight from the heart with nay but a thought given to commercial appeal. The lengthy songs on "White Tomb" (four filling 50 minutes) most closely resemble Wodensthrone's "Loss" of the three with many a period of oppressive cyclical riffing but here, as seen best in "Earth II - As A Furnace" and "Through the Collapse IV - Gentian Truth", AoP mix it up with dashes of post-metal atmosphere and in "Through The Collapse III - Watchers Restrained" a willingness to join it all up with moments of spiritually draining Khanate/Burning Witch-like droning doom.

I've never been one to hide my love of lengthy songs and so when a band appear that comfortably manage to fill 15 minutes of near total bleakness as in "Earth II - As A Furnace" the right buttons are bound to be feeling stimulated. More than just varying vocal styles, tempos and the requisite atmosphere to make a strong impression, AoP show the happy knack of knowing how to control their ambient influences and plethora of sounds for the purpose of making challenging and uncomfortable listening with closer "Through the Collapse IV" epitomising such a spirit through it Cult of Luna-like leads and strangely positive ambience. Furthering their difference from obvious comparators such as WITTR and Drudkh, for whom the smell is firmly of rural woodland and natural organic life, is the vibe AoP have magicked up of desolute urban landscapes and decaying civilisation. It may sound like not much but it goes some way to giving AoP an identity of their own, an all important facet in the BM underground.

Being as the track names are effectively split in two and that a noticeable difference is apparent in each half, it is the "Earth" section taking my fancy. Wolves in the Throne Room-like in it's intensity, this is exchanged for greater solemnity and experimentation in "Through the Collapse"; by no means two bad songs but ones that demand more in the way of acclimatisation than I have so far been able to give. "White Tomb", like those others recently reviewed, is another highly recommended BM release for anyone with even half an interest in the genre and one showing Norway's long-held dominance of the genre might be up for review.

Originally written for www.Rockfreaks.net

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.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

It would have to be an ambitious and confident band that would release as its debut album a four-movement lament of Nature's destruction (possibly self-destruction or one initiated by human activities) yet Altar of Plagues has done this and "White Tomb" is a great achievement. Right from the word "go", the AoP musicians plunge straight into their mix of angry and sharp-edged black metal and melodic, almost soulful rock with energy, enthusiasm and heartfelt belief in their cause, and continue in this way right through to the album's end fifty minutes later. Each track is a roller coaster ride through sections of blasting, thrilling noisy BM with tireless drumming, moments of thoughtful melancholy demonstrated on one lonely guitar rumble, passages where the music coasts along at an easy pace with all instruments appearing to be calm yet under a testy mood, and periods where an actual scene of prayer or a ritual is being enacted in voice and sound.

The musicians are a tight unit and handle the flow of music and the build-up and release of tension well in each track. Fluttering BM guitar tones that ascend to a peak in "Earth - As a Furnace" are brought down steadily to quiet and compressed quivering note some time in the 9th or 10th minute which is then subjected to a series of distorted chiming guitar noes while an anguished voice wails a prayer in vain. Amazing how drama and atmosphere can be created just with the use of guitars, bass, percussion and space without the band having to rely on keyboards, studio equipment, gadgets or other equipment to create a definite ambience in the way, say, Wolves in the Throne Room who may share similar sentiments with AoP might do.

Seems to me that the music should be more or less continuous and the division into four tracks is mainly for listener convenience as the tracks are not very distinct from one another and a major turning point that for me is the Point of No Return comes in the third minuted of track 3 where the music turns theatrical with hammer falls of guitar and a declamatory witchy vocal that might be carrying out a judgement. An extended period of quiet where all activity condenses into a barely-there rumble that then expands into a shrill drone and then a passage of vibrato BM guitar makes for one of the most operatic moments of the album.

You expect the final track to have it all - passion, drama, sorrow, some kind of revelation - and it does though the music is more restrained than it would be after all that has come before it. All the emotion is channelled into the details of the riffing and melodies as the musicians wind they way through and the climax when it arrives appears muted as if it's really an anti-climax, very quick and quiet and fading away as fast as it comes.

In the space of less than an hour AoP create a drama of the collapse of Nature which brings down with it human civilisation as it currently is. The end when it comes can be a surprise - I guess I shouldn't tell you what I think the ending is, it's like telling you the plot of a movie when you haven't yet seen it but then this is my interpretation out of many that will appear here and my version may be completely skew-whiff and not at all what the band intends to say - but it seems we all fade away, lights out without any noise or protest on our part. It's remarkable how AoP sculpt this drama with the minimum of instrumentation and effects, relying on their technical ability, imagination and confidence in themselves and as a unit. Most other people would call on synth effects, sampling, field recordings or elements of other music genres to achieve something similar. Not that I have anything against extra trimmings - indeed, AoP could have added such extras to heighten emotion and tension without tipping the whole thing into something kitschy that would quickly date the music, and such effects could serve to individualise the tracks and make them more listener-friendly.

What a follow-up album will be like, I'm too scared to guess - there'll be high expectations riding on it and unless the band does something completely different (like an album of all-acoustic black folk), the second album, despite having good music and intentions, is sure to be judged harshly and found wanting against the debut.

Altar of Plagues' White Tomb was an album I eagerly awaited. Having been blown away by both Sol and Through the Cracks... I had extremely high hopes for their first LP. Luckily for me, the band, and pretty much everyone else, this album is nothing short of fantastic.

Altar of Plagues are able to maintain an interesting style that can be related to other current bands, but suffice to say, doesn't match anything really out there. They have aspects that you could relate to Wolves in the Throne Room, but at the same time it would be unfair to pair them up with that said band. Altar of Plagues carries a strong atmosphere and maximizes that said atmosphere with plenty of distant sounding, calm drone sections as well as monumental, tectonic like build ups and crashes of intensity. The dynamic and varied vocals heighten this intensity and the post-metal-like sections of crashing drums and midpaced riffs bring about a somber and powerful mood.

The vocal attack alone is a great pleasure from this band. The ravenous male black metal vocals are but just one of the deliveries, on top of those we get great black, almost crust like, female vocals and more powerful sounding post-hardcore/metal sounding male vocals; all of which are excellent and convey so much emotion.

While I enjoy the more drone-y, "post" sections of Altar of Plagues' sound (the start of the album, as well as the last seven minutes of "As a Furnace") I find myself skipping the section of "Watchers Restrained" that just plods along with extremely evil female vocals going on and on. This is really the only fault to the album I can find, it just doesn't capture my attention.

The production is excellent, the composition is above average, there are great sections and riffs full of melody and passion and the band itself is extremely competent at what they do (from a musicianship standpoint as well as a writing standpoint).

I cannot wait to see what comes next from this truly impressive and trailblazing band. I love the element of post-rock/metal/hardcore, or whatever you want to label it, incorporated into black metal. The atmosphere on this album is harrowing and powerful, the long dwindling sections of endless tremolo picked guitars and surging drums provide for an excellent escape. Altars of Plagues have come out of the gates strong, and continue to impress and make themselves noticed as a potent force in the underground scene. I wouldn't be surprised if they were to blow up globally (i.e outside of Europe) from this album; expect to see them on tour with more "progressive" bands of the extreme metal scene, as they are a black metal band that is sure to appeal to those that don't have their walls covered with old zine cut outs of Hellhammer and Sarcófago.

Buy it!

A slew of cliché-ridden reviews will undoubtedly accompany this release in the weeks and months to come as it is discovered. ‘White Tomb’ offers expertly blended post-rock, moments of KHANATE-like extreme doom and black metal barrages of the WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM variety with a brilliant appearance from Nathan Misterek of GRAVES AT SEA. In no way intended to take away from what this band has achieved, it must be stated that ‘White Tomb’, partly due to the above cocktail of conversation-starting influences, is an entirely “fashionable” release and as such, very accessible - the latter actually being one of its strongest points.

This fusion of several extreme metal styles is quite in vogue of late, ruffling the feathers of purists from every metal sub-genre camp. Either way, AoP would be uncomfortable to label what they do as any one particular style, be it black metal or apocalyptic post-rock, such labels only serving to constrain and betray such a talented project. In essence, AoP are sticking true to what extreme metal purports to endorse: a shattering of musical boundaries and oft false preconceptions.

While many will surely point out a release such as this is most notable as the work of an Irish metal band, a scene which has few internationally known/recognised metal acts, it would be more fitting to mark this out as exceptional work regardless of its geographical origins and the laudable fact that being based in Ireland didn’t curb AoP’s activities and subsequent echoes in scenes miles away.

Passionate and dedicated, the time and effort that went into this are, at times, all too tangible. This is exactly the kind of release that prompts one to feel that one should be doing more with one’s existence (if you’re musically inclined), if this small band from a relatively unknown part of the world (in the grander scheme of things), can produce something of this magnitude and presence.
‘White Tomb’ is a hypnotic blend of musical prowess and unnervingly heartfelt proclamations of impending doom; a mournful, evocative burst of musical energy that effortlessly conjures images of collapsing cityscapes, rising, treacherous oceans and the folly of man.


A gripping, epic and truly remarkable release from a band buttressed by exhaustive touring, prestigious support slots, a loyal fan base and pure, honest hard work. AoP have built their status from scratch and are highly deserving of all the praise that is, and will be, heaped upon them.

The motherland, also known as the Republic of Ireland. When it comes to nationalities, I find it hard to distinguish what it is I am. My immediate family are all Irish and my surname stretches back into Irish folklore hundreds of years, but I was born in England. I find it strange that people feel such strong ties to their country of birth whilst I, sit lonely and gazing up at the stars, searching for answers to my ancestry and what it all determines anyway. Is it really that important? Heritage and national identity. Political metal is the most outspoken kind. The type of metal that draws the biggest arguments and the widest divisions. National Socialist black metal, for example, is ridden with strife and a lot of that has emerged from the engaged fans who’re seemingly enraged by the thought of such an existing genre within music in today’s society, which is meant to be liberal and accepting of all. Its ironic, really. We all preach about acceptance and judging solely on what we hear, but that’s rarely the case.

Black metal has been pigeon holed. Its now known as a genre of things it doesn’t do. Some say it isn’t experimental enough, some say its lost the edge of the old school and there are even those that complain its too much like the old school and that there isn’t enough invention in that. Its become ridiculous how anal we’ve all become. If I were a musician, I’d make music that I was inspired to make. Inspired by thoughts and feelings, not by fellow bands. I’d appreciate their music separate of my own. I wouldn’t make music to suit the average listener. Instead, I’d make it in the hope that it at least forges a connection with one person in the world. Perhaps I could mirror their feelings, let them know they’re not the only person in the world to feel the way they do. Maybe I’m being overly arrogant and overly critical of modern day fans, but it becomes really tiring listening and reading how much black metal has altered for the worst when you have bands like this who’re consistently indicating the exact opposite of all the criticism.

Though I may not understand the appeal of celebrating one’s own nation through music, I do understand the importance of talented bands in areas not commonly associated with metal and, in this instance, black metal. Ireland isn’t notorious for its beaming black metal scene, or any metal scene for that matter. Acts like Altar of Plagues have developed their career underneath the surface bands - acts like Cradle of Filth, over in neighbouring Britain, who gain the most fans for their ‘approachable’ style. Its been said many times before, but black metal fans are some of the most uptight fans in the metal genre. Hordes complain about the state of the genre, claiming it to be sub-par in comparison to the genre that Venom started, way back when. However, the majority of these so-called fans have seemingly never persisted with the genre. They hear one record from the 2000’s and pigeon hole the rest of the genre based upon the negative attributes of that one piece. Unfair and unjust.

The best way in which to find those gems is to persist, to wipe away the grime and dirt of the surface material and look beyond it. Its this ability to see beyond what you know that will help you reap the rewards that are definitely there to be had. The existence of bands like Altar of Plagues proves this. It doesn’t suggest it, it PROVES it. Recently, I covered another band who’s material in important to the positive development of the scene - Potentiam, an Icelandic band who have been circulating the underground, unnoticed, for many years. Their style isn’t conventional, much like Altar of Plagues isn’t, but its undoubtedly the type of style that will carry the genre forward, into the new millennium and beyond. Bands like this don’t get the recognition they deserve, though there is still time and with more coverage, the acceptance of the fact that not only good black metal does still exist, but EXCEPTIONAL black metal still exists and its coming from the most unlikely places. No disrespect to Ireland, but if these Irish lads can do it, why can’t the central Europeans and other various continental groups produce the same sort of mesmerising black metal music? Think about it. The answer is that they already do. That’s right.

When it comes down to it, the simple fact of the matter is - black metal still reigns supreme and hasn’t died out. 2009’s ‘White Tomb’, the debut of this Irish black metal band is proof if you ever needed it. However, there are so concerning points that I do wish to draw your attention to. First, this record is experimental. Not only does it confront the constraints of the black metal genre and its fans, but it deals with intertwining elements from other genres, like ambient, doom and so on. This record isn’t simply a black metal record, its about more than that. Second, the olden days are long and gone. Like the sun of some distant planet, it descended and never came back up again. Life as we know it doesn’t just stop existing, it lives on in the underground where new methods of living are forged. Altar of Plagues are standing up in the face of adversary and being accounted for. This style of black metal, as noted, incorporates experimental themes so this record will undoubtedly be torn down once the band gains more recognition. Like bands such as Alcest, or Wolves In The Throne Room - it will be considered some arsehole’s duty to tear down the records positivist nature in terms of its public opinion. It will be defecated on, but never destroyed. The sole of this record will march onwards and upwards. A few exaggerated words will not harm the mentality of this pivotal record, perhaps one of the most pivotal in the past decade.

The experimental factor: Altar of Plagues use differing genres to their advantage on ‘White Tomb’. The ambiance of the LLN is regrouped and remastered by this talented band in order to create an atmospheric as commanding of respect, but even more nostalgic and reflective. The two songs on this record have been split into four sections, the first being ‘Earth: i) As A Womb ii) As A Furnace’ and the second song being ‘Through The Collapse: i) Watchers Restrained ii) Gentian Truth’. Its of my own opinion that sections I) and II) of the first song, as well as II) on the second song are the most important and finely structured. That doesn’t mean to say that ‘Watchers Restrained’ is lacking, it just isn’t as perfect as the other three sections of the two songs. As confusing as that may sound, it isn’t really important since the material the entire way through it worthy of more praise than criticism, even the constructive type. Altar of Plagues aren’t typically fashioned, they allow bass a fair amount of room within the songs to play its part in putting across the divine emotional meanings behind the songs. The percussion is tight, fixating itself on low-key hi-hat and snare work, as well as the powerfully featured use of the double bass. All sections are brought together by the emotive screams of the vocalist. Even these are somewhat experimental in sound. Not typical rasps, but glorified screams of liberation (since the lyrical content fixates itself on oppression).

The backbone for the material however, is the guitars. J. O' Ceallaigh controls these, as well as the ever present synthetics, which adds a monumental difference to the soundscapes, causing them to sound empowered and full of passionate care and affection. A lot has gone into making this record, that is easy to see. Musicianship and song writing aren’t woefully left behind like an athlete with no pace. The band sticks together, through thick and thin, through hell and high waters. Having come across a number of experimental black metal bands recently - Potentiam and Pensées Nocturnes, to name but a few - I am under the impression that Altar of Plagues definitely have the ability to establish a career as a leading driving force behind the experimental scene that divulges away from the preconceptions of the genre. Bands like this tend to explore with soundscapes, which ‘White Tomb’ does as it fuses funeral doom’s slow and ambient textures (‘Watchers Restrained’ has a particularly diverse funeral doom sound - with changes to vocals, guitars and drums) with black metals faster paced guitars and dooms atmospheric tendencies, like on ‘Watchers Restrained’. Typical features still work within the decorated halls of ‘White Tomb’, but they’re not as prominent. Tremolo bass leads, fast guitars riffs and double bass blasts are mixed within the promising experimentation on sparse occasions. This record does have the ability to be able to appeal to a wider audience than most black metal which, in an odd way, may cause its downfall. The so-called ‘posers’ are likely to be found wanting and adoring this band. Having said that, at this moment in time, I love this band and I love this album. One of the best of 2009 so far.