Release
date: September 22nd
2018. Label: Self
Released.
Format: CD/DD
Pillars
Of Blood
– Tracklisting
1.Deincarnation
2.Amaranthine
3.Burning
Fields
4.Sanguine
Petrichor
5.Shepherds
6.Manifestation
7.Small
Gods
8.Lost
Insignificance
9.Echo
Chamber
Members
Andrew
Callis - Vocals
Daniel
Drever - Guitar
Neil
Mathers - Guitar
Jamie
Scougal - Bass
Lindsay
Alan Conway - Drums
Review
Iron
Altar debut album Pillars Of Blood is a downright bleak, heavy and
nasty experience. The band has progressed from their debut EP
released a couple years go to a more desolate progressive sound.
Taking elements of Groove, Thrash, Tech Metal, Death Metal and
merging it with an epic Doom/Sludge Metal sound.
Their
debut EP had traces of Stoner Metal running through out its short
running time. However this album is fast-paced assault with the band
taking influence from Mastodon, Lamb Of God and GOJIRA to name but a
few.
Opening
song - Deincarnation - offers the most perfect glimpse into Iron
Altar's dark world. As a wave of Tech-Death riffs are played at a
furious pace. The sludgy grooves are there on different parts of the
song though it's very hard to hear on your very first listen. The
vocals from Andrew are very demonic as they move from death based
growls to hardcore clean vocals with relevant ease. The album is
quite unforgiving with its bleak lyrical content and use of different
heavy metal styles. The album never lets up in switching the many
different musical atmospheres Iron Altar have included here.
There
are some parts of this album I really love like the heavy fast-paced
progressive technical guitar solos and some parts I struggled with.
The vocals are top-notch from the start. Songs such as Amaranthine,
Burning Fields and Sanguine Petrichor are future "Mosh-Pit"
classics as they have a fearless drive and ferocious quality to them.
I
haven't listened to this style of music fully and almost religiously
since my late twenties. I'm now in my early forties but it's was good
to listen to Iron Altar's more modern style of
Groove/Death/Tech/Thrash/Sludge hybrid sound. Whatever you want to
call it, Iron Altar has delivered a highly exciting album that's not
afraid to pull any punches with the different styles of music they
have to offer. The production is impressive for the most part. There
are a few rough parts on the second half of the album. Though that
shouldn’t stop your enjoyment of the album.
Other
good songs to check out are: Manifestation, Small Gods and Echo
Chamber. As this is where Iron Altar impresses the most with their
bombastic style of extreme metal sounds. This album is perhaps best
suited for the more Extreme Metal fan than the Doom/Sludge Metal
kind. Even though Pillars Of Blood does have plenty of Doom/Sludge
Metal riffs, it's outweighed and out-manoeuvred by the more
Progressive and Extreme Metal sounds that Iron Altar have created
here.
Overall,
Pillars Of Blood will definitely see Iron Altar gain some recognition
within the UK Heavy Metal Underground scene. This is a harsh and
superbly entertaining album from start to finish.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Iron
Altar for the promo. Pillars Of Blood will be
available to buy on CD/DD from September
22nd
2018.
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