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Rating: In the late '80s, Thrash, which until then had represented the most extreme and authentic side of Heavy Metal, was heading towards its definitive decline, but like in a Wagnerian "Twilight of The Idols," Thrash was departing amidst the glows of a bright dusk, giving life to its ultimate masterpieces. Already with albums like "Reign in Blood," "Seven Churches," and "Pleasures to Kill," all the characteristics of this musical movement were contained in nuce, but it was only with "Scream Bloody Gore" and "Altars Of Madness" that Death definitively separated from Thrash and began to stand on its own legs.
It is precisely "Altars Of Madness" that can be considered the album that more than any other defines the very nature of the Death Metal phenomenon. Emanating from the sick minds, if only there were more "sick" minds like these on this little stone and water pebble that deludes itself of being unique in the Universe, of Trey Azagthoth, a guitarist unique in his genre by some considered the Malmsteen of extreme metal, but in my very humble opinion the Swedish jester is not worthy of cleaning his boots, Richard Brunelle, also a guitarist, drummer Pete Sandoval, still today the undefeated king of the double pedal, and Dave Vincent, singer and bassist worthy heir of Tom Araya in his best days.
Listening to this album is like delving into the dark recesses of the Human mind, in a universe where the truths we know no longer exist, where rationality has a short life, and where madness permeates your bones and frees the mind from the reality that binds and imprisons us. "Immortal Rites" and "Suffocation" guide us into a hell where there will be no Virgil to lead us by the hand towards the exit, with intricate riffs, pounding rhythms, and solos by Azagthoth that teach the power shredders how to play the guitar. The quality of the record, as if it weren't enough, improves exponentially as you progress in listening, showcasing gems of unheard violence such as "Blasphemy Of The Holy Ghost," "Maze Of Torment" that alternate with more thoughtful and "rotten" tracks like "Chapel Of Ghouls" (in which keyboards also make a brief appearance) or the Thrash-infused "Lord Of All Fevers And Plague". Even in their lyrics, Morbid Angel stand out, who, unlike most bands of the era, do not deal with horror/gore themes but explore the infinite literary universe created by H.P. Lovecraft, becoming symbolically its heralds. Bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica, or Iron Maiden had already addressed the works of the hermit from Providence, but Morbid Angel would elevate the visionary nature and the horrorific and dark charge that the Master knew how to infuse into his works to the highest levels.
Finally, a mention for the simply perfect production, and for the artwork, which in its simplicity perfectly explains the content of this work, a black bottomless pit in which the souls of the damned struggle and will never be granted salvation.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Suffocation (03:15)
Laugh at the tragedies
Mock with disrespect
Goats under rule of father time
Leaches pass judgement on their fellow kind
And die when their inner self goes astray
Alas, I pay homage to the ancient ones
Speak my name!!
Raise the staff of the morbid priest
Descend into the fires of the true law
Suffocating evil smoke arise
Cleansing the masses in iniquity
Cauldrons blaze in sanctifying ritual
Vile crematory burns my eyes
Mortals filled with despair
They quest to foresee their fate
Caverns below await the wine to flow
Rape the harvest of souls
I watch in awe as the crucifiers march
Killing time, killing all I see
Another moon rise, human waste
Screaming "Why hath thou forsaken me?"
Suffocating evil smoke arise
Cleansing the masses in iniquity
Cauldrons blaze in sanctifying ritual
Vile crematory burns my eyes
It's the dawn of the crucifiers
Suffocation
04 Maze of Torment (04:25)
Life betrayal - a warping rage
Evil ripping caverns through your mind
Immolation - in blood you've signed your soul away
Sickening life ends but the horror has just begun
Vultures moaning a funeral dirge
Walls await to cradle you and rip your soul apart
Incessant screaming echoes through the maze
Insanity approaches - imminent demise
Maze of torment . . .
Stricken from the holy book deliverance to pain
Effigy of Jesus Christ burning in your mind
Voices cry out to bid you welcome
Locked within the dungeons of darkness - no escape!!
Maze of torment . . .
Passing through corridors embedded with
Scars of those who have gone before you
And left their marks
Warning comes too late to save you now
Visions of suffering stab from the inside
You pray for death
Mourning does no good as you can only die once
Souls are being raped by the maze
Lost in these halls . . . endlessly
Maze of torment . . .
05 Chapel of Ghouls (04:58)
Ghouls attack the church
Crush the holy priest
Turning the cross towards hell
Writhe in Satan's flames
Crush the priest
The feeble church
Dead - your god is dead
Fools - your god is dead
Useless prayers of lies
Behold Satan's rise
Crush the priest
The feeble church
The family of dog
Lust upon my altar
Demons attack with hate
Satan in the fires of hell awaits
Death against you all
God hear my death call
07 Damnation (04:10)
Evil Minds grievious sins
Pagan lives have no place for law
Twisted worship exhume the dead
Minds unite for evil cause
Death corrodes the book once strong
Evil lourd destroys his foes
Plague has spread throughout the land
Revelations have begun.
Call of evil's mastermind
Christians flock to the beast
Burning crosses burn souls
Exterminate the altar of laws
Atrocities of a new reich
Holy war and holocaust
God weeps and turns his back
The time is right to destroy the world
Damnation
Fill the world with plague
Force of devastation
Tyranny from above
Churning cities lust so profane
Driving the will to destroy
Crippling powers I'm forced to partake unholy rituals
Crimes of a world barely alive
Melting debauchery
Ashes to ashes, so must I be
Lost in this misery
There's nothing left here for me
I know of no other way
Even death cannot change my ways
I'm first in the line
To hell we shall go
Calls of evils mastermind
Christians flock to the beast
Burning crosses burn souls
Time is right to destroy the world
08 Blasphemy (03:32)
I am the god of gods
Master of the arts
I desecrate the chaste
Writhe in the flesh
Blasphemy
Chant the blasphemy
Mockery of the messiah
We curse the holy ghost
Enslaver of the weak
God of lies and greed
God of hypocrisy
We laugh at your bastard child
No god shall come before me
Blaspheme the ghost
Blaspheme the ghost
Blaspheme the ghost
Blasphemy of the holy ghost
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law
Rebel against the church
Drink from the chalice of blasphemy
Rise up against the enslaver
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Other reviews
By jigoro
"Morbid Angel created one of the most extreme, dark and fast bands that the world had ever known."
"Altars Of Madness is a masterpiece... guaranteed ear destruction."
By HellKnight
"Altars of Madness is the emblem of death metal that any fan of this fantastic genre should have."
"Thirteen tracks of catastrophic power that heavily hit the listener’s mind, leaving them strongly impressed and ecstatic."
