«Altars of Madness» is Morbid Angel’s debut album and was released in 1989 on Earache Records. It was recorded at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida. It is one of only two albums the band made with the line-up of Trey Azagthoth (guitar), Richard Brunelle (guitar), David Vincent (bass and vocals) and Pete Sandoval (drums).
“`Country: United States
Style: Death Metal
For fans of: Death, Deicide, Obituary
From the first seconds, with its reversed introductory motif, it is clear that the album sounds like nothing else of its time. The guitars of Azagthoth and Brunelle run fast and technical without getting lost in pointless solos, Sandoval’s drums are precise and relentless, and Vincent’s vocals have a deeper, eerier tone that escapes the usual growls of the genre.
The compositions are complex but always intelligible, with echoes of classical music. The lyrics move between H. P. Lovecraft’s mythology and satanic themes. Standout tracks include «Immortal Rites», «Maze of Torment», «Chapel of Ghouls» and «Blasphemy», which on some editions appear again as remixes, without much difference from the original performances.
The album is considered one of the most important in death metal. It raised the bar higher in speed and technique and showed that the genre could be built on complex ideas and a dark atmosphere. Years later, «Altars of Madness» remains a reference point for every new band in the field.
Behind the speed there is also careful construction: the tracks change tempo, drop the intensity and build it up again, leaving room for guitar passages before the storm returns. That balance between the violent and the considered is what sets the album apart from the more monotonous records of the genre from that period.
See also
See also: Cannibal Corpse – Tomb of the Mutilated and Suffocation – Effigy of the Forgotten: The Blueprint of Brutal Death Metal.
