All metalheads know there is something about Finland that inclines bands to gloomy death metal (and definitely never sus Nazi territory). Maybe it’s the climate or something in the air or having all those lakes to stare into while brooding about the inevitable decay of flesh. Whatever it is, Altar of Betelgeuze got a full dose. They’ve routinely described themselves in the past as stoner doom meets death metal and hitting play on their third album, Echoes, reveals this is still the formula.
Opening track ‘On The Verge’ is a good example of what Altar of Betelgeuze do. They’re all about that lurching, downbeat groove, interspersed with sombre My Dying Bride-esque leads. Guitarist Juho Kareja handles both the riffs and the melodies with aplomb. And, with his line being often the only guitar, Matias Nastolin’s (Decaying) bass has plenty of space to shine. There’s a particularly nasty melody on “Conclusion” that I keep coming back to. Nastolin also handles all vocal duties on Echoes and gives a fine performance that encompasses articulate, full-bodied gutturals and some old school doom cleans. Drummer Aleksi Olkkola binds it all together, thundering away when he needs to and adding tasteful cymbal work to accent the songs when appropriate. A shout out too for Kareja’s and Nastolin’s work in mixing this. Echoes has a thick dark sound that still lets every instrument shine, ideal for this sort of rumbling deathdoom.
The first time that the feedback of “Fading Light” bled out into silence, I didn’t think much of it. Yet with every new listen, I came round more and more to Altar of Betelgeuze’s vision of destruction and pain. There is nothing revolutionary about Echoes but when the songs are this good, there doesn’t have to be. This is one of the best doom releases I’ve heard so far this year and I’m expecting it to keep growing on me. Whatever it is in Finland that leads to gloomy death metal, Altar of Betelgeuze should keep taking it in.
