Writing about a doom/death metal release in the middle of summer is not an easy task. When the scorching heat is melting the air around you and when the music you need to review is as slow and depressive as an army of snails, then you’re simply doomed. But with the help of a cold beer and the coming of night, things seem to change for the better and inspiration claims its rights again. Are you curious what music I was talking about ? Well, let me introduce you to…
Cave Altar. This band consists of only 2 members, GV (vocals, guitars, bass) and Kryptagonist (drums) and it hails from Hungary. While both musicians have been (and still are) involved in several underground bands, this project marks the first time they have worked together. The end result is “Impermanence“, a two track demo released not very long ago on tape format via Colmorlig Creations, in a limited run of 50 copies. This very short material should make the name Cave Altar known to the world and it should also pave the way for the band’s first full length album that will be released next year.
The title track, “Impermanence“, is a classic doom/death metal song which could have easily been written and released in the early 90’s, when bands like My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost or Thergothon ruled the earth. The slow and crushing rhythm destroys your every single ray of hope and happiness, while the growling vocals penetrate deep into your mind, foreseeing your impending doom. The main guitar riffs, together with the discrete keyboards in the background also add a touch of biter sweet melancholy so specific to this niche genre, while the slow drums pound their way like a torturing Chinese drop of water.
The second song, “Soul Drift“, is surprisingly an instrumental one. The sad guitars and the eerie sounds build up a strong visual effect, and had me actually imagine the violent explosion of the burning sunrise over the horizon’s line. I used this specific comparison as this last track sends a message of hope?, in full contrast with the gloomy and depressive title track. It also leaves you quite baffled, as you’d have probably expected the demo to be a little longer than 8 minutes, but that was its exact scope: to prepare you for what’s next to come.
With this short demo tape Cave Altar have definitely created a very interesting debut material and the follow up sounds extremely promising. This band has a lot of potential and I, for one, cannot wait to hear what else they have to say in the future. “The weeds continue to grow”.
Cave Altar – Impermanence Track List:
- Impermanence
- Soul Drift
Cave Altar Band links:
https://cavealtar.bandcamp.com/
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