Altarage - MMXV

Tracklist:-

1. Altars

2. Vortex Pyramid

Black Friday tends to bring out the worst behaviour in the general public, which is why I decided to stay away from the sales today. That sentence doesn't really have anything to do with this review other than because Altarage could easily be the soundtrack to the chaos. Moving on to the task in hand; Altarage are a mysterious Spanish black/death band who've recently released their debut EP. Originally released digitally in March, it's been brought into wider consciousness via a 7" pressing from Iron Bonehead Productions and a tape pressing from Sol Y Nieve in collaboration with Sentient Ruin Laboratories. Little is really known about Altarage, but they are held in very high esteem by the labels who have worked with them and those who have set ears on them.

Hailing from a sunnier side of Europe and not one that you would normally associate with blisteringly fast death metal, Altarage belay their Spanish roots to perform something that’s near super-human. Altars is both raw and all-encompassing in the way that Bolzer were when I first hear them. The deep blackened growls sit within the music, surrounded by thick riffs and pulsating drumming. There’s more to Altarage than just noise though. They weave subtle introspection into the latter sections of Altars that breaks up the atmosphere and know when to draw it to a close so as not to pummel you. Vortex Pyramid rages out of the silence shortly afterwards. It’s maddening pace and sincere hatred courses through every vein of Altarage’s being. They say that resistance is futile and it’s certainly true here. At over five-minutes in length, Vortex Pyramid is a test for any extreme metal fan but one that is rewarding in a sinister way. 2015 has seen the rise of some truly powerful bands and Altarage are worthy of a seat alongside the likes of Sangus, Occult 45 and Ramlord.

You can stream and purchase MMXV (both digitally and physically) here:-

You can also purchase vinyl and tapes from the labels below:-

Iron Bonehead Productions - http://shop.ironbonehead.de/en/16-ibp-releases
Sol Y Nieve Records - http://solynieve.bigcartel.com
Sentient Ruin Laboratories - https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/merch

Altarage Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ALTARAGE
Iron Bonehead Productions Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions
Sol Y Nieve Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/solynieverecords
Sentient Ruin Laboratories Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SentientRuin