#malignant altar band

[wolverineblues]

Malignant Altar design by Mark Riddick

[cyrilfungus]

What I’ve Been Listening To- December/January

Had some change in plans and a very busy start back at work, but music will always keep me going! Especially death metal.

Castrator! Saw these ladies kick ass opening for Exhumed last month, and I’m going to see them again at the Carolina Chainsaw Festival in May. Stoked.

Malignant Altar! Okay, was nobody going to tell me that they broke up? Boo on you.

Obituary! New album rips! I also saw them last month, and they were able to keep this a secret while still putting on a great set. Looking forward to seeing them again.

[dontstartnoshit]

Slipknot is the closest we have to a non Death Metal Death Metal band. The drums, the riffs, (some of) the vocals, the samples, everything.

So I'm baffled by seasoned Metal fans who make fun of younger people for thinking Slipknot is "the hardest shit ever", and take every chance they can to shit on them or talk about how they don't like them. I don't think anyone thinks they're fucking, Cryptopsy or Immolation or Malignant Altar or anything, but come on. Think of all the other Nu Metal bands from that era. It's obvious the Slipknot dudes in particular grew up listening to Death and Nile and Slayer and it shows. I think that's fucking awesome and a great starter Metal band for a young person, lol.

[saisons-en-enfer]

Also me and my friend came to the conclusion that defeated sanity, blood incantation, and malignant altar are the only noteworthy modern death metal bands

[el-lumpia]

For real still miss this band a lot. Texas Death Metal forever. Glad I got to see them at Wrecking Ball last year, unreal fucking sound and unrivaled performance. R.I.P. Malignant Altar.

[skullgrind]

MALIGNANT ALTAR: Let's kick off the month (and mix) with our filthy DEATH METAL friends from Houston, Texas. They play it downtuned and "old school" on this demo which really is a fantastic recording. Just pure headbanging delight wiggling out of the blank void of our lives (and the cover). Yeah this has been in the mix before SO WHAT!? THERE ARE NO RULES

NOXIS: Keeping it in the YOU ESS AYE for more DEATH METAL this time out of Cleveland, Ohio. I don't really have anything nice to say about that city or state but this METAL is top notch musicianship with a lot of varied styles featured on each track. It may make your brain explode just like the skeledude on this cover art.

TRAIL OF ENTRAILS: Keeping it in the MIDWEST we got more DEATH METAL from Chicago, Illinois. Just a putrid little 3-piece cranking out these filthy jams from the basement. HEAVY production will have you eating the rotten pepperoni off the walls while you rot down there. NAME YOUR PRICE

TUMBA DE CARNE: Enough of the EWE ASS YAY we are going to Buenos Aires, Argentina for some more DEATH METAL. This stuff here is evil sounding and dissonant while keeping the ears enthralled. Also I LOVE IT when a band has a track with the same name as the act. A personal favorite of mine. Creepy cover art of the horrific moonlight graveyard ritual by Juan Manuel Lencina.

INERTH: Now let's go to Madrid, Spain for some "harsh but pondering" DEATH/DOOM METAL that has hints of INDUSTRIAL and SLUDGE sprinkled about. A sweet mélange of sounds similar to bands like NEUROSIS or GODFLESH but seasoned with all sorts of heavy and harsh sounds. WARNING - Doomy "clean" vocals at times. Descend into the blurry caverns as illustrated on this cover art by Giancarlo Melgar.

Miseries of a country obsessed With despising its memories

CONCRETE WINDS: This one here is for the BLACK/DEATH METAL sickos who love the Finnish filth. Angry, feedback laden, and uncomfortable this straddles the lines of GOREGRIND at times and I love that. Stick the metal in your earholes and scramble your brains a bit.

RÖTUAL: Closing out the mix this week with crushing DEATH/DOOM METAL from Ottawa, Ontario. Heavy and DOOM laden riffs reduce us to a scattered assortment of limbs on a desolate alien world. Space worms crawl in and out of our various orifice as we rot like this cover art by Headsplit Design.

THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK! LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED IN THE COMMENTS/REBLOGS AND STAY SICK!!

THE GRIND - 7/5/24 MIX (GUT FULL OF WORMS)

FRIDAY 8pm EST it’s time for your weekly dose of METAL

[horrorpatch]

MALIGNANT ALTAR Streaming Debut Album, 'Realms of Exquisite Morbidity' Online!

MALIGNANT ALTAR Streaming Debut Album, ‘Realms of Exquisite Morbidity’ Online!

Texas death metal horde MALIGNANT ALTAR is streaming their debut album, Realms Of Exquisite Morbidity, online at Decibel Magazine. The album officially is released on December 10th via Dark Descent Records. You can find the link to stream the album in full and get more info about the band down below. From The Press Release The full-length debut from Texas death horde MALIGNANT ALTAR is now…

[drondskaath]

Malignant Altar | Realms of Exquisite Morbidity | 2021

American Death Metal

Artwork by Lucas Korte

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/realms-of-exquisite-morbidity

[tombofgod]

[metal-patches-vinyl]

TEXAS METAL! I wasn't born in Texas, but there are plenty of good bands here that justify staying. Here's a small sampling:⁠ ☠️⁠ Necrofier⁠ Night Cobra⁠ Frozen Soul⁠ Malignant Altar⁠ Sleeping Ancient⁠ Power Trip⁠ Oath of Cruelty⁠ Paingiver⁠ ☠️⁠ What's your favorite Texas metal bands?⁠

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

How Oceans Of Slumber went to the edge and back to make the most vital prog metal record of 2020

Oceans Of Slumber are redefining what it means to be a prog metal band in 2020. But the future remains uncertain for them

Between 2018 and 2019, all the original members of Oceans Of Slumber left, bar drummer/songwriter Dobber Beverly. He’d been the self-professed ‘shot caller’ of the band since they started in 2011, and later insisted they bring in female singer Cammie Gilbert, against two of his bandmates’ wishes (“there is a stigma in metal towards a boys’ club,” he notes). But with Cammie on board, they evolved from a loose, directionless project into a slick, soulful, progressive proposition that deftly incorporated extreme metal.

Dobber and Cammie are now the heart of the band, and are also engaged to be married. Together with keyboardist Mat Aleman (who joined in 2018) and new members Jessie Santos (guitar/backing vocals), Alexander Lucian (guitar/backing vocals) and Semir Ozerkan (bass), they are about to release their fourth album. Ambitious, honest and encompassing the personal and the political, it’s their best yet, ranging from thunderous black metal to gnarly death metal and powerful operatic drama. The fact that it’s self-titled surely stands as a statement about who they are in 2020.

“It’s to show this fresh start and this new generation, this new beginning of Oceans,” explains Dobber, speaking in a Southern drawl from his home in Houston, Texas. “We’ve made very confident strides in what we’re doing and the kind of music we’re making.”

Cammie met Dobber in 2015 when her then-band supported Oceans at a benefit show. She remembers seeing him in the middle of the crowd, glaring at her. In fact, Dobber was blown away by her voice and asked Oceans’ original vocalist, Ronnie Allen, to get her details. She duetted on some of Oceans’ songs, before graduating to frontperson when they ran into difficulties with Ronnie.

“Dobber is very serious; I found him quite intimidating,” she reveals today. “But watching him drum, then finding out he plays piano, then guitar, it was a cascade of my emotions falling into the band and my friendship with him. He’s one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met – he’s crazy musically talented, and he cooks amazing food! For me it was a pretty undeniable obsession that formed very quickly!”

Their friendship grew, but Dobber was married at the time. He calls it a “Walk The Line” moment, referring to the Johnny Cash biopic, where a mutual admiration and attraction developed between two musicians. He re-evaluated his life, ended his unhappy marriage, and the two got together.

“What Cammie and I fell into, was the fact that she had the same situation,” Dobber explains. “So when it became a friendship that was too interlinked, I was like, ‘I have to do the right thing to get out of the wrong situation.’ It was walking away from a long-term relationship that was shattered many, many years ago. And not repeating the things that I had done or gone through. There was an admiration for Cammie, and then the love that was between the two of us from respect and from everything else. It was very intense. I’m a very intense person…”

“He’s very driven and focused,” adds Cammie.

“To my own detriment,” Dobber shoots back.

“I can be very emotional and I have a lot of energy behind my emotions, and they’re not always focused,” confesses Cammie. “So it’s a good balance. It keeps me from being like a supernova.”

In the living-room-cum-studio of their farmhouse in the city, and at their studio an hour north, Dobber and Cammie crafted Oceans Of Slumber. Dobber, who also has extreme metal side-projects Malignant Altar and Necrofier, composes the songs before bringing in the other members for the finishing touches. He gives Cammie a title or writing prompt to focus her attention on the lyrics. There are immersive stories of grief, depression, womanhood and love, but arguably the most intense song is Pray For Fire, which inadvertently captured the zeitgeist. Starting off chilled enough, it peaks with a spoken-word monologue that sounds like an early Daenerys Targaryen issuing commands to free a city.

Dobber explains it’s meant to be an inspiring anthem about facing your fears and challenging the status quo, led by a figurehead who’s working for the greater good. While it was coming together, they watched a documentary on the ship-breaking industry in India, where impoverished workers salvage metal and wood from huge container ships under treacherous conditions.

“You look across history, and there are people that are held down, and it creates such anger, and we do the same thing over and over again,” says Cammie. “I wanted a song that was empowering to those people that felt forgotten or lesser-than or oppressed, whether by socio-economic standing, or race, or war. It’s a full call to arms and a call for flames. Obviously with how things changed, it feels like it’s become a bit more literal than the song was meant to be, but I don’t necessarily mind adding fuel to that fire.”

She’s talking about the upsurge of anger following the murder of George Floyd, and the subsequent momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement, which transpired after the song was written. There have been protests downtown at Discovery Green, and for Cammie it’s meant a change in mindset as she comes to terms with current and historical injustices.

“My day-to-day life has not changed, but how I view things around me has changed quite a bit,” she explains. “I feel like the most impacting thing has been the amount of history I’ve learned about the US. I’m not surprised by the things I find out, but it’s very disheartening and it makes me really sad. It’s kind of a peculiar feeling, because you’re a modern person and you have this modern life, and then you find out this sad history that perpetuates so many things in your life now, and there’s a lot of cognitive dissonance.”

This examination of the past and the present has spurred her into action. “It’s taking on a responsibility that maybe I haven’t felt the need to do before, to not necessarily be an activist, but to make sure that I’m informed, and I speak correctly, and I give good information, and I show that I do care and that I do have opinions about these issues,” she says. “But above all else, we have a generation of younger people that are seeing this and growing up through this. I think it’s important that people in leadership roles are spreading positive messages.”

Another standout song with similar themes is the blastbeat-ridden The Adorned Fathomless Creation – a title from Dobber that describes the hypocritical and indefensible treatment of black people in America. He’d been thinking about how basketball player LeBron James pours money into education – he has established a school in his hometown, provided kids with school supplies and funded college places - yet faces racism in his own country.

“Adornment is the robing and the royalty, but to a big portion of America, he’s just some black person, some racial slur,” says Dobber. “I’d set on this idea with Cammie, and I’m like, you are one of these people. And on top of being heralded and lauded and loved and worshipped, simultaneously you are also some creation of America that America hates.”

Dobber credits touring the world with opening his mind to the issues endemic in The Land Of The Free, and as COVID-19 rises significantly in his conservative state, he’s concerned about whether the live shutdown could spell the end of the band. His former members quit due to family and financial concerns, and he doesn’t want the new line-up to be under strain.

“The worry is that something like this could make this virtually our last record, and by that I mean we could have half of the band drop out,” he frowns. “Because if we’re shut down in the States for a year or two years, that can fully dishearten a musician.”

Life is hard enough for bands in a country that prioritises profit over people, and Dobber has balanced music with his 20-year career in removals. “You’re always juggling trying to be alive here,” he explains. “We don’t have public transportation, so you have to have a reliable car. It’s hard, and I have a full-time job, I have a kid, I’ve got my band, I’ve got everything else, and it’s 90 to nothing, constantly. And the only way that we’re able to continue doing the things that we do is touring, and we can’t tour. This is going to be far more detrimental than venues closing in our cities, which they already are. It’s going to run off or have lasting effects on the people who populate this industry.”

Now is the time to support music, especially when it’s this crushing, tender and illuminating, not to mention slickly mixed by Swedish legend Dan Swanö. And Dobber has a closing message to people who are stuck in metal’s boys’ club. “For those hold-out stalwarts, it is OK for you to listen to a metal band with a woman in it,” he says. “It is OK for you to listen to a metal band with a black woman in it. So please do be open-minded and have these experiences, because bands like us want and need an audience.”

[thecreaturecodex]

Spectaur

“Centaur Necromancer” © Black Bleach Studio, accessed at their ArtStation here

[Commissioned by @wannabedemonlord. The Wraith of Willow Creek would seem to me to be the typical 19th century newspaper hoax, except for the location (Willow Creek, KY), the newspaper (The Atlanta Daily Constitution), the year (1868) and the appearance. A flaming ghostly horseman in the American South, particularly during Reconstruction, has me thinking Klan. I’d like to be able to read the actual newspaper account and see if there is any racist or political language in it, or if sometimes a burning centaur ghost really is a burning centaur ghost.]

Spectaur CR 8 CE Undead This creature appears as a deathly pale centaur, except that both the hair on its head and tail are ghostly blue flames. It carries an oversized sword in one hand and a skull set on a torch in the other hand.

Spectaurs are rare undead that take on the appearance of ghastly centaurs. Although some spectaurs were centaurs in life, a spectaur can form from any manner of creature. They are born when a member of a tight knit, insular community abandons that life to pursue necromancy. Although this is a common enough origin story for many necromancers and death cultists, a spectaur-to-be must be killed in pursuit of necromantic knowledge, and blame their former community for their deaths. As such, spectaurs often suffer from persecution complexes, lashing out at their former fellows for driving them away and creating a surrogate “family” of undead minions. There is nothing a spectaur hates more than fellowship and harmony, and they spread violence and discord wherever they go.

Spectaurs make a show of their horrific appearance, frequently decorating themselves with grisly trophies of their kills. They favor hit and run attacks, using their inherent speed to keep out of the reach of melee. Most spectaurs enjoy the suffering of the weak, and so go out of their way to target the defenseless members of a group. Undead are empowered by their very presence, and a spectaur often will have various undead creatures under its control to absorb blows and provide flanking. Few spectaurs are willing to debase themselves enough to carry an undead rider. Stronger undead such as graveknights may try to dominate a spectaur for that purpose.

Spectaur              CR 8 XP 4,800 CE Large undead Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +18, see invisibility Aura desecrating (20 ft.), frightful presence (60 ft., DC 18) Defense AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 18 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +9 natural) hp 104 (11d8+55) Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +13 Immune undead traits; Resist cold 10, fire 10 Offense Speed 50 ft. Melee masterwork bastard sword +14/+9 (1d10+6/17-20), 2 hooves +8 (1d4+2) Ranged malignant beam +12 touch (8d8+2 negative energy) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks trample (DC 19, 1d8+6) Spell-like Abilities CL 8th, concentration +11 Constant—air walk, see invisibility 3/day—command undead (DC 15), invisibility, ray of exhaustion (DC 16) 1/day—animate dead, enervation Statistics Str 19, Dex 17, Con -, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 16 Base Atk +8; CMB +13; CMD 27 (31 vs. trip) Feats Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Improved Critical (bastard sword), Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack Skills Acrobatics +14 (+22 jumping), Intimidate +17 Knowledge (religion) +16, Perception +18, Sense Motive +18, Stealth +13 Languages Abyssal, Common, Sylvan SQ spirit touch, undersized weapons Ecology Environment any land and underground Organization solitary, pair or band (3-10) Treasure standard (masterwork bastard sword, other treasure) Special Abilities Desecrating Aura (Su) A spectaur is the center of a desecrate spell of a strength as if it were an evil altar. This cannot be dispelled, but is suppressed in the area of a consecrate or hallow spell. The benefits are incorporated into its statistics above. Malignant Beam (Su) As a standard action, a spectaur can fire a ray of negative energy at a range of 180 feet that deals 8d8 points of damage on a successful hit. It can use this ability three times per day, but must wait 1d4 rounds between uses. Spirit Touch (Ex) A spectaur’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as if they had the ghost touch special ability.

[cyrilfungus]

What I’ve Been Listening To- May/June

I’m currently on hiatus from work, and I’m happy. Two weeks ago I was in Philadelphia for Decibel’s Metal & Beer Fest for the third time, and it continues to be one of the best metal fests in the states. There were too many good sets to name, but Wolves in the Throne Room really did a special one with their Two Hunters performance. Besides that, here’s a taste of what’s been on my mind.

Deathevokation! Okay, here’s one more act from the fest. This was their first show in 15 years and they absolutely destroyed it. Please don’t be strangers, guys.

Kreator! I don’t think they’ve really missed over the years, and this new one has already become a workout favorite. Hoping they tour soon,

Malignant Altar! More really good death metal, this one creeps up on you in the best possible way.

Shellac! Sometimes, it’s worth remembering that besides being a hell of a producer, Steve Albini is also a hell of a musician. I need to pick up their other LPs.

Undeath! Still on the death metal train here, but this one has received a lot of hype for good reason. It’s just solid, unpretentious riffing. I think they have a bright future.

[projectmetalmusic]

Project Metal Across The Pond (May 5th 2022)

Project Metal Across The Pond (May 5th 2022)

On this week’s episode of Project Metal Across The Pond With Ell Yong, I will be playing: Audio Reign, Malignant Altar, Mariner, Maudiir, Scattered Storm, Cult of Scarecrow, Playhouse, Megalith Levitation, Breed Of Aggression, Voodoo Moonshine, Mind Imperium, Mocaine, My Hollow, Ommnus, Onirica, Outshine, Oreamnos, Saber Tiger and Skid Row. If I have time I will add more bands to the show The…

[xmystophalesx]

December 10, 2021

I was hoping that getting closer to the end of the year that the new releases would slow down a bit but this was another busy weekend with more than a few incredible releases. Complete pain in the ass for those of us still struggling with putting together our best of 2021 lists. Ahhhhh first world problems…I will try my hardest to soldier on. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it….:)

This was quite the week for Death and Thrash Metal. No fear however as black metal was still very well represented. Diablation out of (shocker!) France released a great album “Allegeance”. Melodic Black Metal with a lot of atmospheric elements and a lot of variety in the song writing. Next up is Darkest Mind and their absolute stunning album “Oracle of Death”. Just when you thought your best of the year list was safe comes this record to ruin your plans. Melodic Black Metal with riffs for days and absolutely perfect production. I WANT THIS ON VINYL! Hopefully at some point it gets a vinyl release. Finally Conjuring and Citadel rounded out the Black Metal highlights. I don’t think either is as good Darkest Mind but they aren’t far off either. Now to the Death and Thrash Metal of the week. “The Sick is Dead” by Maladie started it off with great album of Progressive Death Metal. An album that gets better each time you hear it. This was followed by Soul Remnants and “Raising the Sacrificial Dagger”. This album just punches you in the face from track one and doesn’t let up for 11 tracks and the killer guitar work adds that extra dimension. The weekend ended with two back to back bad ass thrash albums. Death Decline came out firing with their aggressive full throttle style of thrash on their album “The Silent Path”. Impressed me so much I preordered the vinyl edition right away even though it’s not due out until the end of March. Finally we had hands down the best band name of the weekend with Chain Tombstone & The Dead Men. That name is the band name equivalent of the opening to the song The Book of Heavy Metal by Dream Evil…:). A great name is only part of the equation here with some razor sharp riffs and just overall catchy breakdown sections of their album “Realm of Pain”. It’s that really fun style of thrash metal that doesn’t take itself to seriously. As always…

BANG THY HEAD!!!

Rage of Light-Redemption(Melodeath/modern) mix of Melodeath and Amaranthe?*

V-Hajd-No Man’s Land(heavy)

Rising to Heaven-Mysteries of St. Petersburg(symph Melodeath)*

D1Straught-Majestic 12(thrash)*

Last Legion-Legacy ov the Battle(death)

Winterburn-Ivory Towers(heavy/hard rock)

Diablation-Allegeance(meloblack)**

Detest-We Will Get What We Deserve(death)

Fading Aeon-The Voices Within(Melodeath)*

Vahrzaw-The Trembling Voices of Conquered Men(black/death)

Septimo Angel-Teoria del Caos(power)

Maladie-The Sick is dead…Long Live the Sick(prog death)**

Malignant Altar-Realms of Exquisite Morbidity(Death)

Soul Remnants-Raising the Sacrificial Dagger(death)**

Funeral-Praesentialis in Aeternum(doom/death)

Estriver-Outcry(heavy metal/prog)*

Deliberate Miscarriage-Mortuary Melodies(death)

Deep Silent-Memories of the Forgotten Victims(Melodeath)

Land of Gypsies-S/T(hard Rock)

Agarthic-The Inner Side(hard rock)

Death of August-Fear of the Unknown(hard rock/heavy)

Thalarion-Dying on the Scorched Plains(Melodeath/goth/doom)*

Reap the Light-Deliver Hell(heavy)

Dessiderium-Aria(prog black)*

Brooding Fear-Abomination(prog death)

Darkest Mind-Oracle of Death(meloblack)**

Blue Jinns-Hell Razors(hard rock)

Conjuring-Universus(meloblack)*

Citadel-That Which Haunts the Dead(meloblack)*

Death Decline-The Silent Path(thrash/death)**

Chain Tombstone & The Dead Men-Realm of Pain(thrash)**

Hell Machine-Relentless Aggression(black/thrash)

All worthy of a listen if you like the genre

*= standout in that genre

**=best of the week regardless of genre

Isabella the Bulldog gives a full 5 paws up for the Pick of the Week for Dec 10, 2021, Darkest Mind - Oracle of Death.

[reportwire]

FUNERAL, MALIGNANT ALTAR Among Gimme Metal's Top Tracks of the Week

FUNERAL, MALIGNANT ALTAR Among Gimme Metal’s Top Tracks of the Week

Gimme Metal Program Director Brian Turner delivers the week’s top 5 office buzz-worthy tracks. Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading. FUNERAL – Erindring I – Hovmod Founded in 1991 in Norway, this Candlemass-inspired legion morphed through lineups and recurrent tragedies with key members, but soldiered on thanks to the perseverance of founding drummer Anders Eek. The band is a strong septet…