Altar of Oblivion : "In The Cesspit Of Divine Decay"

"Traditional doom" means it adheres to the style of doom perfect by bands like Trouble and Solitude Aeturnus that feature soaring Dio-like vocals and darker touches to what might otherwise sound like slowed-down power metal. When Pallbearer started off they also touched on this sound, and Altar of Oblivion is committed to it. The vocals are the centerpiece of their sound. They typically stay in one lane throughout the album though they are good with that lane. The opening song sets the bar for the rest of the album really high riff a ripping riff kicking the door in and the vocals belted in a way that is new to my ears, leaving me impressed. On the second song, the lower end of this guy's croon does not sound as sure of himself, and riff chugs in a manner that reminds me of early 80s metal if we are thinking somewhere between Grim Reaper and Fates Warning. 

Things are at more of a driving mid-tempo, so this lends more credence to the power metal comparisons that come to mind. "Mark of the Dead" slows down to a strum that is almost balladic. When the drums kick it it feels more like Queensryche. The vocals are powerful, and I appreciate his willingness to try different things with his voice. Some of them just work better than others. They do slow things down leading into the solo section which works well. I am not sure about eponymous songs in principle, they feel too much like theme songs for me, Iron Maiden's is one of the few I like, but this singer goes into a more baritone placement of his voice it sounds like he does not have as much control over. There are better ways to create a darker done, just ask My Dying Bride. There is a more theatrical feel to "The Night They Came". It churns at more of a Sabbath pace. I guess I can hear some of the Candlemass influence here.

The guitars put their feet on the monitors in a more dramatic manner for "Silent Path". The chorus lacks the hooks it needs. Things speed up into more of a New Wave of British Heavy Metal tempo. They experiment with more folk metal sounds throughout"Damnation". They begin to create a uniform sound once the album reaches the title track. Which pretty much checks off all the boxes for a classic metal sound. Though the guitar solos sound more Kirk Hammett influenced. I will give this album an 8, they are good at what they do though there is a formula in place for what they do, and some more hooks and less bravado could be a wise investment. 

pst286