Band: Ereb Altor
Title: The End
Label: Napalm Records
Distribution: Rough Trade Benelux.
Release date: 26/03/2010
Review: CD

The history of Ereb Altor goes back to the early nineties. Back then, two same-minded musicians, sharing a common interest in epic Metal, started a band called Forlorn. After a while, the sound became more Doom-oriented, and the moniker was changed into Isole, also on Napalm Records.
However, both members, Mats (instruments) and Ragnar (vocals), were full of ideas that fit to their original Viking-oriented concept, so in 2003 they started another project, called Ereb Altor. That very same year, a promotional full length got recorded, but unfortunately this album isn’t accessible for the ‘masses’. But… in 2007, the first ‘real’ studio full length became a fact. By Honour was released by the excellent label I Hate Records (review available on 10/09/2008 on our beloved site) and it could be considered a majestic tribute to Bathory’s Viking-period.
The End, and I do praise the horde of Wodan for it, goes on in that very same vein. This album continues the path of By Honour, meaning: Bathory-meets-Doom.
As a matter of fact, this album is less doomy, even though the overall tempo still is very slow. The whole combines epic melodies with harmonic vocals (chants, choirs etc), and besides an evident Bathory-approach, Ereb Altor also includes elements from their other splendid project, Isole (read: in the vein of Candlemass, DoomSword or Solstice). And I don’t know if it has to do with their years of experience, or just some intelligent musical insight, but again the duo proves to be able to write and compose / perform excellent Viking-hymns with a Nordic feeling. And even though the Bathory-influence is (too) pronounced, the whole never sounds to copycat-sickened. On the contrary, I do hear tracks that could have been written by Quorthon himself (may he raise his chalice with Odin’s warriors), but never recorded during Bathory’s rich existence.
This Ragnarok-epos was initially recorded without the band having a deal with any label (unfortunately they didn’t have but a one-album deal with I Hate), but soon after they finished this recording, Ereb Altor were able to sign to Austrian label Napalm Records (a rather evident choice, I guess).
Duration: 48:21 minutes.

90/100

Ivan Tibos.