Band: Altar Of Plagues
Title: Mammal
Label: Candlelight Records
Distribution: Plastic Head Distribution
Release date: April 25th 2011
Review: CD

Altar Of Plagues are one of my favourite Irish formations, even though they don’t exist that long yet (2006). The band did grow a lot during its existence, and the qualities have now almost come to perfection with the sophomore full length, Mammal. This second full length was recorded by frontman James ‘Kelly’ O’Ceallaigh, Dave Condon and S. MacAnri, all three of them involved as well with other ‘important’ names within the Irish scene (like, respectively: Dypherim, Demize and Abaddon Incarnate).
Mammal stands for top quality again in all aspects. Lyrics, instruments, compositions, it has all been done with craftsmanship and conviction.
The lyrical concept deals with ‘death’ in all its aspects. What’s the purpose, the significance of death (and in consequence, what’s the meaning of life?)? The interpretation this time is of a personal, introspective kind (based on personal experiences), or strongly motivated by the enthralling works of Emily Dickinson. Besides, the recording of the vocals differed from the past (and from most bands’ recording methods). Instead of doing different takes, to finally mix it into the most attractive result, James and his colleagues decided to record the vocal parts in one entirely honest take. It couldn’t have been very easy, with the knowledge that the four hymns on Mammal have duration of fifty two minutes (the tracks last between eight and nineteen minutes).
The band incorporated a range of new elements as well, using their own, self-made instruments, made of glass, wood, bone etc. and on top of it, the music gets enlivened with some self-recorded samples, natural sounds recorded at different moments and locations.
The musical approach is of the most unhappy kind. Somewhat bleak and rather repetitive Black Metal with a Doom-laden tempo and an unpolished, unclean production; it exhales the depressive spheres of a couple of Prophecy-alike bands or projects. And in spite of the repetitiveness and the organic yet basic approach (don’t expect progressive breaks, mathematic blast-quakes or any use of superfluous additions), the hymns do not harp on the same string at all.
This material sounds bleak, cold, depressed, grim. This material sounds like it must sound.

84/100

Ivan Tibos.