The Classic Metal Album Reviews:
Title: Altars of Madness
Artist: Morbid Angel
Label: Earache Records
Release Date: 1989

Rating: 5 Skulls
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    • Reviewed by Godispoe:
    Altars of Madness... this album is the first taste the world ever got of future gods Morbid Angel. Being huge in the tape-trading circuit back then, Morbid Angel unleashed a now classic death metal album that extreme metal fans revered for its excellence in musicianship and its fast, chaotic style. What makes this album so special is that, in its day, this is the only piece of music that captured the style that its so respected for: frenzied, whammy-whipped, wah-drenched, atonal soloing; constant speed picking and riffs that shifted in and out of each other with the madness that only a band truly dedicated to EXTREME music could create; fast-paced, blasting, double bass drum assaults; blasphemous lyrics and demonic vocals to top it all off. The soundtrack to hell itself. The only other band, back in those days, that embodied this satanic musical chaos was Slayer-- Reign in Blood, 'nuff said.

    Let's start with the guitar work. Any Morbid Angel fan knows of Trey Azagthoth's genius, he's a guitarist that paved the way and set the standards for death metal. His riffs and solos are so creative and articulated, it's no wonder Morbid Angel is so well respected. The music on this album shows Trey and Morbid Angel in one of its earliest forms (Morbid Angel started sometime around '83-'84 and their debut, Altars, was released in '89). This is pretty damn impressive for a debut album, the riffs are classic, you'll be humming them in no time and acknowledging how excellently they embody this style. Something to take into consideration is the fact that the solos of Azagthoth and Brunelle aren't meant to be technically impressive with six-string sweeps, 15-note-per-second legato runs, or memorable themes, they are purely crafted for chaos and to add to the whole chaotic atmosphere of the album. That's the key word for this review, chaos. Not noise! Chaos.

    The drumming is fantastic, everything in Sandoval's repertoire is finely executed, from the rolls and fervent double bass runs to the excellent and tight blasting he takes out on his snare/ride cymbal/high hat. The vocals aren't very powerful or outstanding, they get the job done and that's all that matters here. They are monotonous and more in the high/mid register, which isn't very characteristic of a DEATH metal vocalist, but who cares anyway? Is there a set standard for how vocals should be executed in death metal? I don't think so... look at Angelcorpse, one of the BEST death metal bands ever (even with only 3 albums) and the vocals are consistently in the high register. Vincent's vocal patterns stay within the strict confines of the flow of the riffs and overall music, but what else would you expect? Catchy choruses and verses ensure that once you've read along with the printed lyrics you'll be singing along every time in your head or out loud.

    Overall, the music on here is finely crafted and arguably the best extreme metal album released in the 80's. Of course everyone has their own opinions, some may say Possessed's Seven Churches, Slayer's Reign in Blood or Venom's Welcome to Hell is the best, but in my opinion, musically speaking, this is the best. Every aspect of this album is great, the riffs, primarily being the strong point as with every Morbid Angel album, create the atmospheric foundations of this album along with the solos and even a brief keyboard part outlining a palm-muted power chord riff section during "Chapel of Ghouls."

    This album is not without its own minor faults. For one, the production is pretty quiet and thin, nothing is really buried in the mix, you just probably have to turn it up every time you listen to this CD. I don't know about the replay value though, it always depends on what kind of mood you're in. I think it holds up really well to the other Morbid Angel releases. This is a fantastic album and I would recommend this to any one even remotely into extreme metal, especially the older, less-modern style. Satanic death/speed metal at its finest!
    5 out of 5

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