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Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
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Author:  CelestialEmissary [ Mon Apr 08, 2024 6:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Hi folks! This week's album of the week is a very special one: Altars of Madness. Let me know your thoughts etc below!
Author:  Oxenkiller [ Mon Apr 08, 2024 7:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Loved it then, love it now, and I still consider it probably their best album. I loved how fast and tight the playing was, and how unique the "Wah Wah Pedal Freakout" guitar solos were. Everything about it was good.
Author:  aidane154 [ Mon Apr 08, 2024 7:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Great album, great early OSDM. I recently listened to the Abominations versions of each of the Altars tracks, then the 1989 versions, just to compare them, and the extra 3 years of polish did them so much good. The altars versions are far more threatening and better for the most part, though without that nwobhm-ness. Yes it would have been crazy to release Abominations in 1986, but the albums we got are way better I'd say
Author:  KaiKasparek [ Mon Apr 08, 2024 9:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Fuckin S+ legendary tier. It wasn't the first death metal band, or even the first death metal band I bought, but it was an album that made me realize I need to dive deep in the sub-genre of death metal. Any list that doesn't have this in top 3 is bogus. Even though I personally would rate Blessed Are The Sick as the greatest death metal, this is a firm number 2.
Author:  goetia_unreleased [ Mon Apr 08, 2024 11:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
David Vincent before he started doing the Randy "Macho Man" Savage vocals.
Author:  koolaidprodigy [ Mon Apr 08, 2024 11:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
I still remember when I heard it for the first time. It was mind blowing. One of the best albums ever made. I listen to this album all the time still to this day.
Author:  Gravetemplar [ Tue Apr 09, 2024 8:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Never heard of this band before. Maybe I should check them!
Author:  CelestialEmissary [ Tue Apr 09, 2024 9:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Gravetemplar wrote:
Never heard of this band before. Maybe I should check them!


Not sure if joking, but if so, I'll do a more obscure album next week. I've just had Altars on repeat all week and thought it'd be a good pick!

If serious, you're in for a treat!
Author:  pyratebastard [ Tue Apr 09, 2024 10:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
goetia_unreleased wrote:
David Vincent before he started doing the Randy "Macho Man" Savage vocals.


Agreed; his vocals on this album were the best. "Chapel of Ghouls" will always be one of my favorite songs to shout along to.

My favorite Vincent-era album was Covenant. I do kinda hate how they sprinkle in "Angel of Disease" as if to say "hey, we've still got that sound in our back pocket, but we're only going to do it on one song this time, loser!". Who am I kidding? It all rules.
Author:  SanPeron [ Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
goetia_unreleased wrote:
David Vincent before he started doing the Randy "Macho Man" Savage vocals.


This, so much this. My problem with Morbid Angel was always David Vincent's voice, this is the only album by them that I like. Great album though, a landmark in old school death metal. One of the first truly death metal albums that were made in the 80s.
Author:  King_of_Arnor [ Tue Apr 09, 2024 8:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
SanPeron wrote:
goetia_unreleased wrote:
David Vincent before he started doing the Randy "Macho Man" Savage vocals.


This, so much this. My problem with Morbid Angel was always David Vincent's voice, this is the only album by them that I like.

What about Formulas and Gateways (the albums with Steve Tucker instead of Vincent)?
Author:  Required Fields [ Tue Apr 09, 2024 10:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Easily their best album.
Author:  MetlaNZ [ Tue Apr 09, 2024 10:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
goetia_unreleased wrote:
David Vincent before he started doing the Randy "Macho Man" Savage vocals.

Oooh yeah!
Author:  pyratebastard [ Wed Apr 10, 2024 10:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
King_of_Arnor wrote:
What about Formulas and Gateways (the albums with Steve Tucker instead of Vincent)?


Personally, Gateways to Annihilation is my favorite of the Tucker-era albums. Sounds like it was spawned in the deepest of swamps.
Author:  Ace_Rimmer [ Wed Apr 10, 2024 11:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
On any day its either my favorite MA album of all time, or #2. And its probably the same for favorite DM album of all time. Just a total classic, in terms of playing, songwriting, vocals, leads, drums, etc.
Author:  Forever Underground [ Wed Apr 10, 2024 1:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
It's pretty amazing how an album from 1989 still sounds so fresh and current 35 years later. The energy it captures is immeasurable and has rarely been replicated, quite unbelievable that it's a debut (even though technically it isn't). I love the thrash elements and it's probably the OSDM album that best carries the Seven Churches influence, a true masterpiece in every sense of the word.
Author:  Slater922 [ Wed Apr 10, 2024 1:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Still the best album from Morbid Angel! :np:
Author:  HighwayCorsair [ Wed Apr 10, 2024 4:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
best death metal album of all time
Author:  King_of_Arnor [ Wed Apr 10, 2024 5:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
I prefer Blessed but it's their second best. I also have a suggestion for whoever makes these threads, you should ask us to give our favourite track on it as well. I would have to say Immortal Rites for the pure classic factor but Chapel of Ghouls comes close. Visions from the Dark Side is the most underrated imo.
Author:  Under_Starmere [ Wed Apr 10, 2024 6:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Unpopular opinion, but I can never get too excited about this one, honestly. It's obviously foundational and was probably pretty insane for the time it was released, but the riffs don't do much for me. Like the cover art, the music rarely feels very genuinely malevolent. Their songwriting doesn't pull me in somehow. Never heard a MA album I particularly felt like revisiting.
Author:  CelestialEmissary [ Wed Apr 10, 2024 10:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
King_of_Arnor wrote:
I prefer Blessed but it's their second best. I also have a suggestion for whoever makes these threads, you should ask us to give our favourite track on it as well. I would have to say Immortal Rites for the pure classic factor but Chapel of Ghouls comes close. Visions from the Dark Side is the most underrated imo.



Will do! Good suggestion :)

While I'm here, I figured I'd drop in to talk about this album. I think this is probably my favourite Morbid Angel album, though I love all of the A-H albums. This was one of the first death metal releases I ever heard after Scream Bloody Gore. I feel like no album has ever entirely recaptured the atmosphere of this one. Evil Spells is probably my favourite song on this one. Also incredibly annoyed at the Earache cover swap they pulled after the Dan Seagrave legal issues. I'm not sure what caused David Vincent's vocal change that was on many of the songs on Blessed, and all but one song on Covenant, but I've always loved both approaches. The next album by the band I listened to was Covenant, and it took me a while to dig into that album as I thought it sounded like a different band, but it has grown on me tons since, and is now one of my go-tos. Funnily enough, both Covenant and Death's Individual Thought Patterns released the same day. I can't imagine picking both of those up the same day!
Author:  Forever Underground [ Thu Apr 11, 2024 6:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Under_Starmere wrote:
Unpopular opinion, but I can never get too excited about this one, honestly. It's obviously foundational and was probably pretty insane for the time it was released, but the riffs don't do much for me. Like the cover art, the music rarely feels very genuinely malevolent. Their songwriting doesn't pull me in somehow. Never heard a MA album I particularly felt like revisiting.

Weird take imo, I can understand not considering Altars music as evil as the heights they reached with Blessed and Covenant, but even in that aspect it's still austounding, it balances in an incredible way a macabre atmosphere and the most vertiginous speed.

My favourite track is a tough choice, but I think I'll go with the classic "Chapel of Ghouls", superb performance by everyone.
Author:  Zephirus [ Thu Apr 11, 2024 7:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Chapel of Ghouls was one of the first DM tracks I heard back in the day. The delivery and lyrics blew me away
it was on the Grind Crusher Sampler and was my gateway to DM
Author:  ColdJustice [ Thu Apr 11, 2024 10:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Amazing album. Big fan of "Maze of Torment." The frantic riffs and blast beats are just amazing.
Author:  Non Euclidean [ Thu Apr 11, 2024 3:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
My favourite Morbid Angel album, and one of my favourites of all time. In all of their following albums I think they haven't really been able to match the energy of Altars.. of course, they're all different beasts.
Author:  jose_G [ Sat Apr 13, 2024 10:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Best !!!!
Author:  Empyreal [ Sat Apr 13, 2024 11:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
It's an incredible piece of work - the frenzied, chaotic playing and the dark atmosphere are pretty much my blueprints for how the best DM always is. A wonderfully occult and bizarre piece. No wasted moments.
Author:  David_Brent [ Mon Apr 15, 2024 5:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
KaiKasparek wrote:
Fuckin S+ legendary tier. It wasn't the first death metal band, or even the first death metal band I bought, but it was an album that made me realize I need to dive deep in the sub-genre of death metal. Any list that doesn't have this in top 3 is bogus. Even though I personally would rate Blessed Are The Sick as the greatest death metal, this is a firm number 2.


I feel the same way, Altars always felt like the point where the genre truely began. (Although I love classics like Scream Bloody Gore, Seven Churches etc).
Agreed on Blessed also. My two favorite metal releases
Author:  Gunslinger21 [ Wed Apr 17, 2024 4:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Album of the Week: Morbid Angel-Altars of Madness (35th Anniversary)
Loved this album back in the day, contrasts in a big way compared to the tucker albums. Both eras have a lot of great songs in them, but the best part for this album for me was the speed of the killer riffs and solos. It actually feels like a dark and spiritual album, I'd put it over the next few albums which certainly bad either. Hope we get to see another album soon, what with how unhealthy Trey has looked in a few recent videos.
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