Review by Sandre the Giant
The new record from Finnish death/doom merchants Altar of Betelgeuze, ‘Echoes’, is out now through Wiseblood Records and it has been a long 7 year wait since their awesome ‘Among the Ruins’ record. They have a lot of ground to make up in this latest death/doom odyssey, but if it’s anything like their last one, this should be real good.
Opener ‘On the Verge’ has a killer opening riff, and that lumbering heft continues throughout the song; a slow yet swaggering doom riff rolls under the powerful growls of frontman Matias Nastolin. It is a potent start, and the big thick bluesy groove of ‘Conclusion’ is beset with all sorts of atmospheric enhancement too. It may have a massive riff running throughout it but the rest of the song is spacious and provides a wistful melancholy to the action. Big, booming riffs and guttural roars is all you need with most death/doom, but Altar of Betelgeuze know that it is the atmosphere and the other little touches that really makes a record special. The cleaner vocals in ‘A Reflection’ have a touch of Matt Pike or even Layne Staley about them, which is a nice touch, while the classic doom stomp of ‘Salvation’ is a total curve away from the brutality but into new and uncharted melodic territory. We could take more of this guys, we really could. The stoner vibe of the wandering epic title track is beautifully crafted, blending into the gloomy vibe of the record perfectly but reminding us of their previous work.
‘Echoes’ is a somewhat ironic title for this, for it is an echo of Altar of Betelgeuze’s former work but with much more to offer in the way of atmosphere and gloom. ‘Among the Ruins’ was a glorious beginning to a jouney, but ‘Echoes’ is the body of the odyssey; an evolution in sound and a step above to a new frontier, a new vista to search. Death/doom rarely sounds this uplifting and well rounded, and that is all credit to Altar of Betelgeuze’s songwriting. A grand record.
https://www.facebook.com/Aobofficial
https://altarofbetelgeuze.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-2
The Killchain 