Lista de Bandas Black Metal Altar Of Plagues Teethed Glory and Injury

The third release from Irish pack Altar Of Plagues sees the band carrying on with the experimentation they dabbled in on Mammal and to move further from the Wolves in the Throne Room inspired style of their debut in favor of the more decaying urban Post Metal vibe that they’ve always had albeit in smaller amounts.

As time has gone on Altar Of Plagues has become less straightforward Black Metal, not that they were ever in the first place but it appears that they’ve got less interest in being a conventional Black Metal band. Not that I have a problem with that mind you, it’s always interesting to hear Black Metal bands come out with something unique and innovative and Altar of Plagues have truly done something special here.

They’ve taken the blue print of their original sound and added more to it, there are shades of drone, noise and post rock and the ambiance is still there but it definitely comes across as different. I heard somewhere that this album is more cinematic and I agree with that, it’s less otherworldly and more down to earth but the sound feels bigger and more expansive than before. It allows it to reach new emotional heights and ensures it remains compelling.

It would be easy for Teethed Glory and Injury to stay in the same vain as their previous albums, not that I’d have a problem with that but Altar Of Plagues clearly have very different goals in mind. Not content to repeat themselves Teethed Glory and Injury is their most compelling and unique release to date. The songs are much shorter and there are more of them as well, nine compared to the four of their previous LP’s. They’re all pretty face melting and results in Teethed Glory and Injury being their heaviest/loudest release to date.

Teethed Glory and Injury is experimentation not for the sake of experimentation but for the sake of exploring new ground and adding much more to their sonic fingerprint. The electronics mixed with the harsh, dissonant and almost sludgy Black Metal really makes this is a fantastic album. There’s also a definite grindcore influence just to add to the intensity. This is pretty fierce yet filled with some sort of subdued beauty, there’s no hope here though, no hope at all. Teethed Glory and Injury is a bleak sonic cathedral of negative emotions that serves to convey the sense of looking out onto a ruined world through the window of a dilapidated room. One of the best examples of Atmospheric Black Metal I’ve heard thus far, Teethed Glory and Injury succeeds more than others in portraying an authentic and bleak atmosphere.

Altar Of Plagues most eclectic and experimental release to date, Teethed Glory and Injury ensures that Altar Of Plagues will remain at the forefront of the Irish scene and to secure their reputation as one of Black Metal’s most original and exciting. Teethed Glory and Injury is a strong contender for album of the year and one of the best Black Metal albums of the new decade. At this point I’m not sure what I like more, White Tomb or this one, they’re different, they bring a different feel to the table but it wouldn’t be sacrilege to say this is their best so far.

Altar Of Plagues has made its mark as one of the greatest black metal bands ever to hit the scene. They formed in 2006 from Cork, Ireland, and from that point forward, the group released some highly enjoyably dark and atmospheric metal records, such as "White Tomb" in 2009 and "Mammal" in 2011. Sadly, though, as of 2013, their legacy may be coming to an end, as the members have decided to move on to other projects. However, that doesn't mean that the band can't leave without a parting gift, which is where their third and last full-length, "Teethed Glory and Injury," comes in.

Compared to the rest of Altar Of Plagues's collection of releases, this album appears to be steering away from straight-up black metal for a much more atmospheric and abstract sound. Although it's not completely on par with the other albums, "Teethed Glory and Injury" is still written and executed incredibly well. The overall sound is plotted out very bizarrely, and the band takes advantage of this with strange but memorable structures and musicianship. The tortured vocals add some nice rawness and creepiness to the musicm while the guitars perform buzzed and mordantly odd riffs throughout. The drums sound a tad incongruent to the rest of the music, serving as an unorthodox framework for the songs' structures. In context of that, the structures are intriguing in how unpredictably they are built, piling further onto the album's captivating factor. From the great musicianship to the well-planned structures to the captivating moments, the atmospheric black metal here really comes across as an impressive act.

At times, the music even crosses into haunting drone territory. During those instances, the tracklist places more emphasis on the atmosphere for a more hypnotic and gripping listen. One such example would be the album's starting track "Mills," which enters with a slow, chilling, and somewhat distorted electronic drone track, giving the music some good suspense to work off of. The ambience behind some of these tracks, including this one, lends itself to be very useful in making the structures even more unsettling and attention-grabbing. To make a long story short, the drone-like sounds that "Teethed Glory and Injury" bring forth certainly work in its favor.

On top of the well-crafted metal, the album also possesses some simple but very fitting artwork. The cover is a black-and-white photograph of a woman contorting backwards in an unsettling arched position. The picture, as just stated, is simple, but is so odd, dark, and eerie that it clicks perfectly with the music. As this band always have, Altar Of Plagues has some stellar artwork to accompany their dark soundtracks.

As the band's last album, "Teethed Glory and Injury" has proved to be a nice finale for a great band's discography. While not quite as stellar as "White Tomb" and "Mammal," this record is nonetheless not an intriguing step the band took in developing their sound, but it also is darkly enjoyable. The way the songs are laid out with bizarre tunes and atmospheres into these odd structures make way for a pleasurable listen. Even though the iris is closing for Altar Of Plagues, it's safe to say they've definitely made their exit on a high note.


Originally posted on: http://metaljerky.blogspot.com/