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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Altars Of Madness Indeed!, May 12, 2005
Unleashed upon the public in 1989 during the time when Guns & Roses and "Glam Metal" were the rage, this is the first full length album from the Tampa, FLA natives. The cover is a vortex of grinning ghouls staring at you from another dimension. How does this initial offering sound? Here are my reviews of the songs based out of 5 *****:
"Immortal Rites" - Backwards/swirling sounding guitars open the album. The drums pummel in at a breakneck speed and the tempo then switches to a midtempo chugfest. Vincent's vocals are throaty/growl like. The song goes from thrash to Sabbath and back, with some wicked guitar solos. A tune about rites of immortality. A sonic assault to the ears that demolishes all musical boundaries. A fantastic piece! Rating - *****
"Suffocation" - VERY FAST drumming begins the onslaught. Numerous tempo/rhythm changes abound. There is one brief moment in which Vincent gets a two second bass solo, and then he fades into the background as Sandoval/Azagthoth/Brunelle resume control and resume crushing the wind out of your lungs with their technical power. There is one part during the second verse where Vincent almost sounds like he's rapping ala "Baby's Got Back"...'Caverns below, await the wine to flow, rape the harvest of souls.' Listen to that verse and you'll hear what I mean. The song has an abrupt ending. Overall, another superb piece. Rating - *****
"Visions From The Dark Side" - or 'Hey!It's just Capitalism!' Very fast and tight drumming/rhythm. Sandoval is just great with the dexterity/speed/force of his drumming! The lyrics are anti-war and anti-corporation.."Dogs of war, satan's own, plotting all their sins. Weapons aimed at liberty. My vision - no one wins." Lets hope Vincent's vision isn't right, but it appears it might be! There are numerous guitar solos from Brunelle/Azagthoth as well as multiple tempo changes. Another superb, gem of a tune! Rating - *****
"Maze Of Torment" - Swirling guitar and then....BOOM! SUPER FAST drumming with a very fast, tight, guitar rhythm screaming along-side. Many tempo shifts. A MercyFul Fate vibe on steroids exists. It's the Maze of Torment! You'll feel dazed and amazed after listening to this! Rating - *****
"Lord Of All Fevers And Plague" - Short, reverse sounding guitar solo from Azagthoth and then the rest of the band storms in! Vincint's "singing" is just awesome on this one! The lyrics are in Sumerian and as I chant along with David, I swear I feel the "Lord Of All Fevers And Plague" trying to rip through the vortex on the album cover! "IA, ia sakkakh iak sakkakth, ia shaxzul. IA kingu, ia cthulu, ia azbul, ia azabua" Just f'n mind blowing! AWESOME SONG! My favorite on the album! The tempo is hard, crunching, very heavy. It has a EARLY Metallica/Slayer vibe, but turned to 11! There are numerous solos from Brunelle/Azagthoth and a sudden ending. Aw shoot! The incantation did work! I hope the Lord Of All Fevers And Plague is a vegetarian! Rating - *****
"Chapel of Ghouls" - Opens with very heavy guitar and then Vincent growls his way in..."Ghouls attack the church. Crush the holy priest." Hey man, I'm outta here! All I wanted was some bread and wine! Swirling guitars along with a tight/pounding drums/bass/guitar builds a solid wall of music that is impenetrable! There are some light synthesizer "choir voice" effects that helps to give the song added mood and color. A combination of early Slayer/Metallica/Mercyful Fate, but again done heavier/harder/faster. My second favorite song. Just perfect! Rating - *****
"Bleed for the Devil" - Tempo begins very fast. Damn! Sandoval is pure speed king on the drums! It is unbelievable how fast he can play! The guitar solos are very fast and technically superb!The lyrics are corny, but the musicianship is topnotch! Rating - ****
"Damnation" - The melody is heavy and chunky as Vincent growwwwls his way in. The lyrics ARE pretty good (if visions of destruction and plague are good) The tempo is fast, but it kind of sounds like the other songs on this album. Nothing special about this one. Multiple guitar solos and tempo changes, but repetitive. Rating - ***1/2
"Blasphemy" - The sound of numerous gunshots begins this track (remember, the band is from Florida!) and then a VERY FAST tempo is unleashed and assaults the hearing. Vincent once again growls his way in..."I am the god of gods, Master of the art. I desecrate the chaste. Writhe in the flesh." Well, I for one would rather do the backstroke. Writhing is to tiring! There is also a nod to Mr. Crowley in the lyrics.."Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Rebel against the church." The song is very fast with a warped/distorted bell/chime sound to fade out the tune. I like this one alot. Rating - ****
"Evil Spells" - The song has multiple changes in tempo and rhythm along with swirling mass of guitar. The tempo ranges from very fast thrash to Sabbath chugging and density towards the end. Guitar solos remind me of KK Downing "Sinner" stuff and Iommi riffing. A solid piece of metal. Rating - ****
Overall, while the sound production is kind of tinny and raw, the muscle and aggression of the band comes through clearly. Think of EARLY Mettalica/Slayer/Mercyful Fate/Sabbath/JP rolled into one and given electro-shock treatments. Then add the growling vocals of David Vincent while pumping adrenaline into Sandoval and Azagthoth, and you have a "Altar Of Madness". The musicianship is breathtakingly fast/technical/heavy/tight! This debut album is absolutely devastating and unforgiving. You have to have a open/intelligent mind to appreciate the music and message. The band isn't "evil", they are alive, free and encouraging everyone to brake off their mental shackles and THINK! A masterpiece of a record! Buy this! It will help you LIVE!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
death metal milestone, June 3, 2006
This album is a milestone for death metal and is probably the greatest effort by Morbid Angel. The guitars a little bit soft on this CD and the solos are weak as far as sound is but it still displays the guitar work of master Trey Azagthoth. David Vincent's vocals sound very demonic and raspy growling in this CD compared to his more grave and deeper vocals which would be features in the next three records by Morbid Angel. All the songs on this CD are pure mayhem and speed up so fast and the blast beating is incredible! This is definitelty a must have for death metal fans~!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
classic dm, May 7, 2009
what a great album! i remember getting this as a cassette back in the day. If you love old school death metal then you should already have a copy.get it!!!!
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