Well, Profound Lore has done it again, uncovering another gem of a black metal record, this time from the depths of Cork, Ireland.Though cut from the same cloth as label mates Cobalt and Krallice, and with some similarities to the likes of Wolves in the Throne room, and to some extent, the new Withered, as far as epic, sprawling songs, segments of ambience and a more raw, organic tone, Altar of Plagues are generally a bit more brittle, nastier and grittier and their ambient segues are far more mechanical and industrial, maybe a dash of Blut Aus Nord?
With one intro and three tracks comprising a respectable 33 minutes, Sol is longer than most EP’s and some albums, and well worth your money if you are a fan of this kind of thinking man’s black metal. After the intro, the EP’s shortest track “The Titan Skies” kicks off with nasty, torrential black metal furor and tremolo picked savagery before ending with a factory sounding few moments of industrial clamor. “Twisted Structures Against The Sun” is an eleven-minute trip starting with Norwegian (Mayhem-ish?) rhythmic, buzzing riffage, then an almost post rock shimmer before an ambient strumming, acoustic midsection and an unexpected tangent into gruff shouts (which may put off some black metal purists) and a mechanical buzz/hum to end the song. The post rock vocals and vibe starts of the 14-minute “With Fire In Our Veins We Drown In Light” before exploding with a seething tremolo picked salvo that then bridges into more lengthy post rock introspection and finally climaxing with yet more blackned furor and industrial programming.
Again, black metal purists may be put off, but if you are into the bands in the first paragraph and don’t mind a few non black metal tangents, Altar of Plagues look to be one of the most promising and component cross genre bands out of the UK I’ve heard in a while and I’m really looking forward to a full length album.
If the forthcoming Winterfylleth (members of Atavist) and Caina albums (can’t be any worse than the debut) are as good as this, Profound Lore appears to have tapped into an un-mined potential of UK black metal not named Anaal Nathrakh. Finally.
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love the mellower breaks in these songs – gonna have to put this one on the to-order list.
on Sep 2nd, 2008 at 18:17What about Akercocke, Erik? They’re equals with Anaal Nathrakh as far as I’m concerned. Good review, I’m gonna get this.
on Sep 4th, 2008 at 00:38Cork isn’t in Northern Ireland, thus isn’t part of the UK
on Sep 6th, 2008 at 09:42Well shit .
on Sep 6th, 2008 at 15:00I must be blind but I don’t see Erik refer to Cork being in Northern Ireland>?
on Sep 15th, 2008 at 10:09Nah-i refer to ‘UK black metal’ in the last paragraph, and technically Cork isnt the UK. details.
on Sep 15th, 2008 at 10:39I am getting this. Respect to Profound Lore.
on Nov 26th, 2008 at 11:05Technically?
on Feb 27th, 2009 at 17:59