ALTAR OF OBLIVION – In The Cesspit Of Divine Decay

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6.5

• Band:
  ALTAR OF OBLIVION
• Duration: 00:46:49
• Available from: 28/06/2024
• Label:

• From The Vaults

We are now so accustomed to the high technical quality of record releases that, when faced with albums that present shortcomings from this point of view, we run the risk of not being entirely clear-headed when judging them.
As you may have guessed, this is the case of this fourth album of unreleased material by the Danish band Altar Of Oblivion, proponents of an epic doom very close to classic metal. The tutelary deities are Solitude Aeternus and Candlemass, with reminiscences of Pagan Altar and a hint of their fellow countrymen Mercyful Fate; in sporadic moments you can also catch hints of Manowar and Bathory.
The singing does not differ – at least in intentions – from that of the Texan Robert Lowe who has tried his hand at both Solitude Aetenus and Candlemass, with an excess of theatricality à la King Diamond; unfortunately – and here we return to the opening speech, the technical quality is not the same, and in the long run it makes listening tiring. Also because, being a concept album, based on a war diary, and to be precise on the maternal great-grandfather of the guitarist and founder Martin Meyer Sparvath, the vocal interventions are very important, full-bodied and spread over the entire length of the album, on pieces that are not at all short and with instrumental parts reduced to guitar solos, a short interlude and a final with a whispered female voice; so basically Mik Mentor – that's the name of the frontman – gives no respite and to appreciate the album you have to deal with it.
In truth, on the tenor register Mik also makes his dirty figure, even if sometimes shaky and over the top, but on the baritone one, which he spices up with a slightly caricatural vibrato, it sounds decidedly forced. Fortunately these episodes are more contained than in the past and the not perfect technique still makes Mik Mentor recognizable and in some way even magnetic in his ability to capture the listener's attention; what matters, in short, is to root for him.
Better on the instrumental side, with passionate and experienced musicians, with a technique that is not excellent here either but all in all functional to the proposed genre, more suited to sword slashes than to foil thrusts.
But what saves Altar Of Oblivion, and what allowed them to reach their fourth album of unreleased songs (not counting singles, demos, EPs and a live album), is exactly what should be most important: the ability to write good songs. Let's be clear, we can't shout about a miracle, but the Danes' metallic faith is palpable, they really believe in it a lot, and you can feel that they put their heart and soul into these songs. To demonstrate this, keep in mind that the music contained in this album, admittedly not innovative or revolutionary, is however personal: as already mentioned, Altar Of Oblivion don't imitate their godfathers Solitude Aeternus and Candlemass that much, they almost never insist on extremely Ossianic tones, and when they have to propose themselves on sad tones, as the concept requires, they do it in a discreetly original way; see the ballad “Damnation”: nothing transcendental, but closer to Uriah Heep than to the above-mentioned groups. The backbone of the album is played on a rocky classic metal at a slow speed and rich in vocal melodies, able to satisfy the most retro enthusiasts and those who prefer veracity to sophistication, craftsmanship to the perfection of mass-produced products.
The beginning is absolutely successful, with the song chosen for the promotional video, “Nothing Grows From Hallowed Ground”, a beautiful piece with an exciting instrumental introduction, a well-chosen central acoustic break and a captivating Mik Mentor, particularly on the ball also on the fourth “The Mark Of The Dead” and the seventh “The Night They Came”; other times it goes a bit round in circles, but the Danes know how to play as a team and in the end you can still appreciate them from start to finish.
The shortcomings we have talked about cannot be overlooked in the final judgment; if decades ago, when this genre took shape, one could be more indulgent and reward ideas above all, today, in 2024, it would no longer be correct to do so, and so even if Altar Of Oblivion this time came to the counterattack with new helmets and weapons, quoting an old song, this is not enough to project them beyond an abundant sufficiency.