BLACK ALTAR - Winds ov Decay - [2017] - Split Review by NPH - Rate 8,5/10

BLACK ALTAR
COUNTRY: POLAND
GENRE: BLACK METAL


[ Cover Art by Nestor Avalos ]

BLACK ALTAR - "WINDS OV DECAY" - SPLIT - 2017

Tracklist:
BLACK ALTAR: "Winds ov Decay"
1. INTRO
2. TOPHET
3. WINDS OV DECAY
4. PENTAGRAM SACRIFICE (Beastcraft cover)
5. OUTRO
6. TOPHET – PreEmptive Strike 0.1 – electro version – bonus track

BEASTCRAFT: "Occult Ceremonial Rites"
7. IN THE HOUR OF THE THORNS (unreleased intro track from 2016)
8. DEATHCRAFT AND NECROMANCY (unreleased track recorded in 2007/2016)
9. BLACKWINGED MESSIAH (previously only released on 7” vinyl, recorded in 2007)
10. BURNT AT HIS ALTAR (unreleased live recording from 2016, taken from the Death is Complete tribute concert)
11. RESURRECTION THROUGH DESECRATION AND CHURCHFIRES (previously only released on 7” vinyl, recorded in 2006)
12. …IN THY GLORY (7”, 2017)

BLACK ALTAR RECORDING LINEUP:
Shadow – vocals
James Steward (Vader) – drums
Michał – guitars, bass
V. Priest (Acherontas) – guest vocals
Acerbus (Ondskapt) – guest vocals
Sorath Northgrove (Beastcraft) – guest vocals
Nihil (Furia) – sound engineering, sample fx, mix and mastering

Tophet has been recorded in 2016 at Hertz Studio, Bat Studio and Czysciec Studio.
Mix and mastering by Nihil.



BLACK ALTAR - Winds ov Decay - 2017 - Odium Records
Genre: Black Metal

Out from the darkest crypts emerges the new black metal piece by Black Altar a band that has over 21 years of existence and devotion to the black metal arts. To celebrate more than two decades in blasphemy the band has released this new split with the Norwegian black metal heretics Beastcraft! 
Black Altar has been founded by Shadow on his homeland Poland back in 1996. Since then his unholy crusade has set a mark in black metal underground, Black Altar has ascended to become one of the best Polish references on its genre. "Winds ov Decay" is a proof of that, unholy dark ritualistic music crafted by experienced black metal war-masters!
Shadow rebellious march has raised 2 tenebrous full-length albums, 2 EPs and loads of split cd's with bands such as Vesania, Nebular Mystic,Varathron, Thornspawn and now Beastcraft, a rough black metal band that adds among other elements a very own depressive and melancholic atmosphere to their darkest metal crafts.

"Winds ov Decay" / "Occult Ceremonial Rites" is a split album that will please adepts of traditional black metal without any delightful adornments or "over-melodic" touches. This is straight fu**ing black metal right upon your tortured ears, bitter and old fashioned, harsh and with a pitch black atmosphere.
While Black Altar ritualistic sound is quite more aggressive and with some slight death metal touch into, Beastcraft sound in the other hand goes deeper into the obscure and sounds allot more old-fashioned and rawer. Their dark depressive/melancholic touch is surely giving them an own blackened essence!

Black Altar/Beastcraft split contains 12 tracks of the most christ-raping black metal out there! Black Altar present two new tracks which express the bands true essence, "Tophet" and the title track "Winds ov Decay" unleash true terrorizing black metal, fast, vicious and as deadly as it can be, to enhance this brutal sound none better than James (Vader) drums to give all the right dose brutality! "Tophet" includes the vocals of some distinguished guests like V. Priest (Acherontas), Acerbus (Ondskapt) and Sorath Northgrove (Beastcraft)!
Black Altar have also covered Beastcraft "Pentagram Sacrifice" as tribute and added as bonus an interesting electronic version of the track "Tophet"!
Beascraft "Occult Ceremonial Rites" follows... "In the Hour of the Thorns" introduces the listener to "Deathcraft and Necromancy" and "Black Winged Messiah" tracks that shall take you into a dark melancholic journey across pure demonical black metal grimness, a diabolical trip into the depths of the obscure! In the same vein you have the live version of "Burnt at his Altar" from the bands debut full length "Into the Burning Pit of Hell". To end the split we have "Resurrection Through Desecration and Churchfires" recorded in 2006 and "In Thy Glory" from 2017, two ugly and old fashioned pure fu**ing black metal tracks...both damn vicious and addictive! True black metal cult!

"Winds ov Decay" / "Occult Ceremonial Rites" is a quite well balanced black metal creation, pleasing the adepts of scorching and fierce as well as raw and melancholic extremes of black metal. This unholy offspring is a "must have piece" to every die hard black metal worshiper, a sinister piece of true unholy necromancy! With this new release, both Black Altar and Beastcraft enrich their underground black metal legacy with another ritualistic cult creation, proving with it that black metal is alive and kicking hard!

RüPä - Nekronos Promotion Hell

RATE: 8,5/10



"Tophet" : Videoclip : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMYmAwIcA9c



FULL SPLIT STREAM : https://youtu.be/YCeEO3dIIe0




MORE ABOUT THE BAND AT:
OFFICIAL SITE: HTTP://WWW.BLACK-ALTAR-HORDE.COM 
FACEBOOK PROFILE: http://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BLACKALTAR
MYSPACE: HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/BLACKALTARHORDE

BOOKING / CONTACT: SHADOW666@INTERIA.PL