Metal Rulez
Zaskoczenie i to bardzo pozytywne zaskoczenie. Tak właśnie czuję się, gdy tylko odpalam ten materiał sprokurowany przez Black Altar. Dotychczas ten twór jawił mi się, jako wybitnie podziemny i dość niestety niedbały. Rozchodzi tu się oczywiście o brzmienie, ale i pomysły na kawałki. Było tak sobie, chociaż kilka poprzednich materiałów tego olsztyńskiego czarciego pomiotu raz na jakiś czas znajduje drogę do mojego odtwarzacza. Tymczasem, to co wyrabia się na ep-ce „Suicidal Salvation”, to skok jakościowy o kilka długości do przodu. Na początek rewelacyjne brzmienie materiału. Ktoś tu wykonał robotę na poziomie, którego najwięksi by się nie powstydzili. Nie sądziłem, że Shadow może coś takiego puścić, ale stało się i to stało bardzo dobrze. Pierwsze zderzenie z wydawnictwem jest jak najbardziej na plus. Pora więc skupić się na samych kompozycjach, które w ilości pięciu sztuk składają się na około 24 minuty black metalowej uczty. Cholernie dopracowane to kawałki, wypełnione po brzegi wyrazistymi i targającymi mosznę riffami, które nabrały głębi i bardzo dużej mocy. Słychać gołym uchem wysiłek włożony w ich ułożenie. Sporo też tutaj klimatu, który całości nadaje z lekka rytualnego charakteru. Doskonale te wrażenie potęguje instrumentalny „Journey to the Astral Realm” będący odlotem w nieznane i mroczne miejsce. Zdecydowanym hitem „Suicide Salvation” jest zamykający całość „666 Mega Beast”. Będziecie się drzeć z Shadow’em aż wam gardła wysiądą, zaręczam. Ten materiał nie ma słabego momentu i aż strach pomyśleć, że mógł gdzieś przepaść i nie ujrzeć światła dziennego. Pierwotnie miał się ukazać sporo czasu temu na splicie z Shinning, który jednak do skutku nie doszedł. Na całe szczęście wszystko znalazło swój szczęśliwy finał i można w najlepsze rozkoszować się tymi dźwiękami. Na dzień dzisiejszy Black Altar, to poziom co najmniej europejski i pozostaje jedynie żywić nadzieje, że ten kurs zostanie utrzymany i w miarę szybko usłyszymy kolejny duży album tego zespołu, po którym nie będzie już co zbierać. Na razie jest ta ep-ka, która żadnego maniaka black metalu nie zawiedzie, a wręcz powinna w oczach takiego człowieka zdecydowanie akcje olsztynian wywindować w górę. Jedyny minus tego materiału jest taki, że jest zwyczajnie za krótki. Tak dobrych dźwięków można przecież słuchać w nieskończoność. Rzecz zdecydowanie warta zainteresowania szerokiego grona. Brać się za i to i katować swoje uszy.
9/10
Metal-temple.com
BLACK ALTAR is a satanic as you want Black Metal band from Poland. “Suicidal Salvation” is not their first album, not at all. The group started back in the early- mid nineties. These guys like any self-respecting Black Metal act are quite satanic and totally anti-Christian. The album is complete with fast ass blast beats, dark eerie guitars, and beautiful symphonic intros. Yes these guys are as black as metal can get, and thank Satan that they exist, to remind why I love black metal so much. This album is considered to be a mini album, consisting of only five tracks, but what an interesting theme it has. Sacrificing oneself to Satan, be honest how many times have you thought of doing such a thing?
The vocals on this album, as expected, are all harsh. Yes, his shriek / growl is perfect for evil Kvlt Black Metal. The drums are fast and unrelenting, with plenty of blast beats, and plenty of double bass. During the Metal there really isn’t any symphonic sounds, but the intro, and the instrumental song are evil foreboding and completely symphonic. This takes it to another level. The guitars on the album are dark, eerie, and evil. It is the perfect combination of elements to scare the Christian right out of you. (hehe) There is absolutely nothing about this cd that is light, by any meaning of the word, and I really love it. I mean the Shadow sounds like he was spat right out of hell. Now one thing about the raw Black Metal is a lot of it starts to sound the same, but these guys don’t really fall into that rut. They remind me of some GORGOROTH, but with their own twists.
Overall I loved this album. It took me back to my school days when I played and dressed like a Black Metal fiend. There was nothing I didn’t enjoy. Of course black metal is like a fine cheese, in that it is almost certainly an acquired taste, but to those who appreciate it there is a raw grim beauty that no other type of Metal can really capture. These guys are awesome for any black hearted fiend who loves the genre. For those who don’t, well, they probably won’t care for it. Anyways I give this album a 666(10)/10 – Mastepiece!
NeKronos Promotion HELL
Here we are to present and review "Suicidal Salvation" the new mini-CD and second release for Polish Black Metal titans Black Altar this year ! This is a darkly terrorizing, frightening hollow and yet brutal black metal piece, a must for adepts of bands like Belphegor, Marduk, Necrophobic, Watain, Tjuder, Immortal, Dark Funeral and more! Without a doubt a great step forwards in the diabolical sinister sound of Black Altar, going darker and deeper than ever before in all this years of unholy existence!
"Suicidal Salvation" is a great piece in every die hard black metal fan collection. Inhale the darkest winds of destruction in a haunted atmosphere of terrorizing blasphemy! Suicide is the only salvation for the weak minded on this kingdom of human slavery... unleash the chains and be the King of your own realm or fall deep into deaths embrace!!
NeKronos Promotion HELL
Black Altar - Mini-CD - “Suicidal Salvation” - 2013 - Darker than Black Records
Genre: Black Metal
"(...)It was obvious – either you or me
Death fell in love with you
Making me merely her helper
… in order to seduce you(...)" Black Altar - The Sentence
The band:
BLACK ALTAR Polish black metal titans have unleashed their second release in 2013, this mini-CD goes by the title of "Suicidal Salvation" and it was intended to be a split cd with the Swedish black metal legends Shinning.
For all those unfamiliar with Black Altar, I can tell you that they've been born in a blasphemous Sabbath in the Night of Walpurgia Anno Bastardi 1996 by the hand of the dark lord Shadow, their only remaining and founding member. Since those times that the band has been rising with unholy strength to set a mark on Polish black metal scene, yet within the years, the band became a true legend on what they do.
Always true to the underground black metal movement, they've been raising fans all across all this vast metal universe! This unholy crusade by the Black Altar guardian Shadow has given the band allot of respect on this strict musical genre.
The new album musicaly:
With their upgraded brutal and very own terrorizing black metal sound, Black Altar have reached a new level with "Suicidal Salvation" a great step forwards from "Death Fanaticist" (latest full length album) who got tons of great reviews, yet with this new piece of the band is making fans anxious for the next full-length album to come!
"Suicidal Salvation" presents a renewed Black Altar sound, unleashing the same formula that given them their own identity but this time with the add of a darker brutal sound. Never before they have been closer to death metal fierceness, this aspect will probably please the fans of a more aggressive approach to black metal. A sound that shall please fans of band like Belphegor, Marduk, Necrophobic, Watain, Tjuder, Immortal, Dark Funeral and more!
This conjured diabolical destructive sound shall feast the tortured souls appetite for a rough, yet brutal black metal sound. Still dirty and unclean but more powerful and destructive than ever before!
The lyrics and concept of the album:
"Suicidal Salvation" main concept deals with ending up your own life and entering the world beyond life itself as yet the great cover art by Babalon Graphics reflects. A journey where life and death are just in a distance of an act of self-offering. Black Altar takes your possessed soul deep into the lands of the dead, a realm so close to us all in a ritual suicide distance away. Within this release you will receive a glimpse of how it shall be, this world beyond life... and death!
The band members and album production:
On Black Altar's terror scenario Shadow is the voice of horror in such frostbitten dark brutal blaspheme atmosphere! The work of Horizon on the tortured guitars and Horn of the Antichrist on drums sure bring Black Altar to a new level of intensity and dark brutality! The blackened rough production on BAT studio by Marek Heimburger sure catches the right sound for this album, forget about a crystal clean sound, this sound was meant to be dark and ugly, yet with due definition so that the details won't be washed away with the abusive uncleanness! Think that this albums underground black metal sound couldn't be much better than it is!
The album track-by-track:
The mini-CD works as whole, from the coldly dark piano intro on "The Sentence", a brutally dark track where Black Altar unleashes their horror identity on it's highest levels, followed by the title track "Suicidal Salvation" ignited by the blackest flames of hell, here the bright use of hollow keyboards sure add some melody to the darkest brutal sound.
Time to go deeper and darker than black with the instrumental "Journey to the Astral Realm ", a trip into the darkest catacombs of hellish phantasmagoria, an unholy portrait of darkest musical art. "Pulse ov the Universe" brings forth Black Altar with their traditional terrorizing black metal sound, unclean and unholy as it can be. This album ends up with one of the most addicting tracks that the band has created so far, it goes by the suggestive title of "666 Mega Beast", addicting and so damn brutal, it was made to haunt your tortured ears for a long, long time!! "666 Mega Beast" the mighty devilish beast of the night!
The Epilog:
In all "Suicidal Salvation" MCD is a great black metal piece for adepts of deeply dark, sinister and unholy brutal black metal, as obscure as it can be! A must-have piece of horror in the darkest form of metal art! Blackest anthems of destruction and spine chilling atmospheres take this album to the best material being done in the genre. Death awaits us all, it's up to us how we both meet in the end, if by our own hand or by the hands of others. Lead your life and make your own destiny... then you will conquer death herself!!
RüPä - NeKronos Promotion HELL
Occult Black Metal zine
Black Altar are a band from Poland that plays a satanic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2013 ep "Suicidal Salvation" which was released by Darker Than Black Records.
"The Sentence" which is also the first song on the ep opens up with dark and atmospheric sounding synths and a few seconds later heavy and melodic guitar riffs kick in along with some blast beats from the drums and a few seconds later grim sounding and high pitched black metal screams kick in and a minute later the music goes into a slower direction for a few seconds and then returning to being fast.
"Suicidal Salvation" which is also the title track begins with fast black/death metal guitar riffs and blast beats from the drums and then the music slows down and adds in synths and melodic guitar leads before reverting back to fast and adding in grim black metal vocals and then the song starts alternating between slow and fast parts and close to the end of the song there are more guitar leads that start coming in and out.
"Journey To The Astral Realm" opens up with dark and evil sounding atmospheric synths and the song is an instrumental piece with no vocals, drums or guitars being present.
"Pulse Of The Universe" returns the heaviness with slow and dark guitar riffs along with atmospheric background sounds and drums which also lead to grim black metal vocals and a few seconds alter the music speeds up along with a small amount of blast beats and then alternating between mid paced and fast parts as well as adding in a brie f use of guitar leads.
"666 MegaBeast" which is also the last song on the ep opens up with dark, melodic and fast guitar riffs along with drums and blast beats a few seconds later and then the black metal screams kick in as well as adding in melody in certain sections of the song and then the music slows down a bit and you can hear some bass guitars along with a small amount of guitar leads before speeding up again and then alternating between slow and fast parts and then the song closes with some keyboards..
Song lyrics cover Satanism, Occultism and Suicide themes, while t he production has a very strong, powerful, heavy and dark sound to it.
In my opinion Black Altar are a very great sounding heavy and melodic satanic black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Sentence" and "666 MegaBeast". RECOMMENDED BUY.
Wondebox Metal
Polish Black Metal band Black Altar start things off nicely with a bit of atmospheric piano, and when they’re ready they kick it up a gear and come out blasting.
This is Black Metal with a healthy amount of keyboards and orchestration, but it is used to create a dark atmosphere and accentuate the Metal, rather than swamping it with unnecessary pomp and overdone theatrics. The orchestral interludes work well also; minimalist and dark. In short, they have the mix right.
Whether mid-paced or faster, they have a good sense of rhythm and an ear for a good melody. The mid-paced parts of Pulse ov the Universe for example, are as good as anything Samael have ever done, with the faster parts being a bit more reminiscent of Marduk, or some such. There is even a guitar solo, that rarest of Black Metal things. Possibly my favourite track on this EP, but there is plenty to like here.
A well recorded and played sound complements the release well, and allows the band to sound tight and professional, without sacrificing the feeling of Black Metal darkness and awe that they foster so well.
I look forward to seeing what else this band are capable of. Based on this EP they know their art and I for one admire it.