MORBID ANGEL - Altars of Madness CD review

MORBID ANGEL - Altars of Madness CD
label: Earache Records
released: 1989
track listing:
1. Immortal Rites 4.04
2. Suffocation 3.15
3. Visions from the Dark Side 4.10
4. Maze of Torment 4.25
5. Lord of all Fevers & Plague 3.26
6. Chapel of Ghouls 4.57
7. Bleed for the Devil 2.23
8. Damnation 4.10
9. Blasphemy 3.32
10. Evil Spells 4.12
11. Maze of Torment (Remix) 4.24
12. Chapel of Ghouls (Remix) 4.56
13. Blasphemy (Remix) 3.22

COMMENTS:

Altars of Madness is the most important release in the history of Death Metal. Not many bands can have that said about their full length debut. But in MORBID ANGEL's case it comes easy. There are many things about Altars of Madness which makes it an essential for anyone into Extreme Metal. First off there's the production/sound quality which by today's white washed standards would in all intensive purposes be considered crap. The sound on Altars of Madness is simply "unclean". Most people won't understand that but the extreme ones do. It's completely heathen in it's approach to sound and style. Complete unadulterated filth and we love it. The raw unpolished quality is what makes this extreme. Can you just imagine the faces of the unaware when this onslaught was turned on them?

"What is that", they ask?

Another important part are the vocals by bassist David Vincent which are unmatched in their terrifying hatred of everything. Vincent's vocals are simply inhuman sounding. The guy was possessed during the recording session. Listen to his voice on "Bleed for the Devil". It's as if he's singing in the first person not just reciting lyrics he'd written. That's freaky and I don't care how much Black Metal you've numbed yourself with. Vincent is the Devil on Altars of Madness.

"What is that", they ask?

What more could be said about the demonic guitar duo of Richard Brunelle and Trey
Azagthoth? The riffs/rhythms on here are monsters running wild amongst the sheep. The solos are fiery meteors raining down upon the unshielded fools. On "Chapel of Ghouls" the solos sound like unleashed flaming bats on the attack. The rhythms are haunting like actual zombies are rising up. You can't run because they have you by the ankles.

"What is that", they ask?

Pete Sandoval was a sadist when it came to the drumming on here. Be it the steady pounded rhythms or the torturing blastbeats the guy was getting off on inflicting pain. All through this album here was this mad man delivering S&M styled beatings without any "safe words" to be uttered.

"What is that", they ask?

You really wanna know what that is? It's your end, fuck face!

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Like I said earlier, this is the most important Death Metal release of all time. If
you've grown tired of it or are one of these pussy boy, indie rock, snobs who only likes Death Metal that has progressed from what they consider it's "neanderthal" beginnings.

WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU EVEN READING THIS LOSER? GET OUT!

WEBSITES:

http://www.morbidangel.com/
http://www.myspace.com/morbidangelofficial