ALTAR – Dark Domains 1989 – 1995 (Konqueror Records)
It is the season of obscure hard to get Death Metal re-releases, either as albums with a bit of extra material or almost a band’s full discography, like it is the coincidence here with this release of all (I reckon) ALTAR’s recorded material. And if you think that ALTAR made several full length albums and is somewhat more chugging and grooving than the music on “Dark Domains 1989-1995” you are thinking of the wrong ALTAR, this band is from Sweden and is besides the name not related to the Dutch Death-Thrashers.
Sweden is and has been more than the old sludgy and raw Death Metal that the country first got known for, and the melodic wave that came afterwards. Besides the sludgy Death Metal that has become synonymous with Swedish Death Metal, there have always been a small but steady amount of bands into more technical Death Metal inspired by everything than the rawness and hellish attitude that sparked Swedish Death Metal. ALTAR is one of those bands into the more technical side of things, something that drowned a bit in the midst of everything else in the beginning of and mid-nineties.
Read the rest of the review @ Voices From The Darkside