Altars - Altars

ALTARS - Altars (SENTIENT RUIN / DAWNBREED - 7'EP 2018)

I recently got this unknown 7” vinyl. And it's a bit weird to review EP of band, which is already dead. And this was their only recording, so you can assume that there are maybe ten people, who knows them. And four of them actually were in that band. But well, unknown or short-lived, doesn't have to mean uninteresting and lame, right? Altars were from California, USA and they existed for couple of years only. This self-titled 7"EP was released by Sentient Ruin Laboratories / Dawnbreed Records (and I think it's sold out already) and as a testimony, it's actually a fairly worthy piece of wax.  

On the label note you could read "Taking inspiration from Autopsy, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, and combining it with the straightforward, no frills delivery of Napalm Death and other Grindcore". It's fairly right comment, which doesn't even leave much else to describe. I can add that it's a fuckin shame to know that Altars is no more, as they definitely had a good touch for old school death metal filth. In this short material they managed to present big potential for the future. Crushing riffs, doomy parts, nasty lunatic faster pieces, obscure aura, chaotic but massive, powerful sound... There's everything we all like. Songs are terribly short, so it all sounds like a quick, merciless punch in the face. But as I said earlier, it's enough to convince me. Such "Unholy Retribution" is simply awesome, when it begins with slow, doomy riff to evolve into a real grinding beast. All squeezed in 2 minutes. Or "Black Magic", probably the best song here, a bit slower, but so damn vicious and dark. 

Yeah, short timing is the only fault of this self-titled EP. I am big fan of 7-inch vinyl format, but I prefer to know that there's gonna be something more from the band I listen to. In this case I can only say "RIP fuckers, way too early you buried this band". 

Verdict: 70/100