Album Type : Full Length
Date Released : 18/3/2014
Label : Unique Leader Records
Immortal track listing :
1). Flesh Born Text 05:54
2). Of Decimus Divine 02:36
3). Vile Remnants 05:06
4). Ancient’s Retribution 03:34
5). Mutilated Marvel 03:25
6). Into Oblivion 02:38
7). Serpentspire 02:45
8). Throne of Maggots 03:57
Bio :
Sacramento technical death metal militia,
ALTERBEAST, is pleased to unleash their full-length debut via Unique Leader
this Spring! Titled Immortal, the eight track monster offering was meticulously
assembled in several locals throughout 2013. With guitars and bass recorded at
Augmented Audio in Los Angeles with former The Black Dahlia Murder bassist Ryan
“Bart” Williams, vocals arranged at Mayhemeness Studios in Sacramento by Bob
Swanson (Rings Of Saturn) and drums tracked at Castle Ultimate Studios with Zack
Ohren (Light This City, All Shall Perish, First Blood, Cattle Decapitation,
Warbringer et al), who also mixed and mastered the release, Immortal promises
to deliver some of the most dynamic, instrumentally adept and plainly crushing
material of the year.
Elaborates vocalist Cam Rogers of the outcome: “Immortal is what was spawned from hard work, dedication, and downright brutal musicianship. It has intricate solos, absolutely crushing interludes and brutal circle-pit anthems. ALTERBEAST sets the scene with grievous piano preceding the onset of ‘Flesh Bound Text’ which comes in with blistering drums and guitars effortlessly making their way around the fret board. Every piece truly has its own personality on this record, whether it’s the apocalyptic soundscapes of ‘Ancient’s Retribution,’ the devastating aggression of ‘Vile Remnants’ or the unmerciful grooves in ‘Throne of Maggots.’ This album has something for every listener and comes together seamlessly to form as a breathtaking whole. Immortal is exactly what we intended it to be: a gripping and intense death metal album.”
Elaborates vocalist Cam Rogers of the outcome: “Immortal is what was spawned from hard work, dedication, and downright brutal musicianship. It has intricate solos, absolutely crushing interludes and brutal circle-pit anthems. ALTERBEAST sets the scene with grievous piano preceding the onset of ‘Flesh Bound Text’ which comes in with blistering drums and guitars effortlessly making their way around the fret board. Every piece truly has its own personality on this record, whether it’s the apocalyptic soundscapes of ‘Ancient’s Retribution,’ the devastating aggression of ‘Vile Remnants’ or the unmerciful grooves in ‘Throne of Maggots.’ This album has something for every listener and comes together seamlessly to form as a breathtaking whole. Immortal is exactly what we intended it to be: a gripping and intense death metal album.”
The Band :
Michael Zamora | Bass
Cam Rogers
Rusty Cornell | Guitars
Andrew Lamb | Guitars
Gabe Seeber | Drums
Review :
Listening to Alterbeast is like having a smorgasbord
of riffs placed at your table. Although
relatively new to the technical death metal menu, these gents from Sacramento
Alterbeast clearly doff their caps to the classic
death metal of yore: if you’re a fan of Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse and
Deicide, you’ll feel right at home with this new generation of eye-gougingly
good tracks. Have you ever listened to a
band that is so intense, so technical, so out-and-out insane that their music
seems to somehow transcend metal and go back to classical? That’s how it feels like to me when I listen
to some of Alterbeast’s songs: there are mauling movements, aggressive arias
and pulverising passages to be found within these eight death metal
behemoths.
Still unsure of what the Hell I’m talking about? Check out ‘Of Decimus Devine’: it roars like
a bear, strikes like an MMA fighter, and yet has instances of such preternatural
beauty sewn into its devilish fabric. Take
a listen for yourself; see if you feel the same.
The epic track on offer on ‘Immortal’ has got to be
‘Vile Remnants’, for several important reasons.
Firstly: it’s over 5 minutes of unrepentant, unremitting death of the
most venomous potency. Secondly, its
scope is vast: from its blasting opening – complete with Cam Rogers’ hissing,
shrieking vocals – to its twin guitar exit, ‘Vile Remnants’ runs their entire
gamut of technical death metal wizardry.
Finally, and most importantly: it fucking rips like an industrial
bandsaw set to ‘shred’. This is
tech-death as perfect, as deadly as one can find it.
That’s not to say that you should only listen to this
song from the album. Hell no: in fact,
‘Immortal’ is simply packed to the brim with gut-wrenching mosh-pit
thrillers. There’s the grinding,
pinch-harmonic popping ‘Mutilated Marvel’, which lives up to its twisted
title. Or try ‘Serpentspire’, if you
like your riffs (including tasty little bass solos from Michael
Zamora) full of delicious percussive detonations, spry solos and guttural vocal
roars. Hell, don’t deny yourself: try
them all out, and experience the righteous fury first-hand.
Alterbeast
is a band of malicious genius. This California
Words by :
Chris Markwell
