Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory & Injury (2013)

Post-black metal band Altar of Plagues' first two albums featured some of the most apocalyptic, gut-wrenching music I've ever heard so my expectations were pretty high for their new release. After being disappointed by the first song/video released, I am quite pleased to say that the album as a whole stands up to the quality of the first two albums. It's quite a different proposition for this Irish trio with electronic elements featuring prominently, sparse clean vocals, and a less focused or structured approach, but at the same time the core of the music and the emotions behind it have not really changed. As the album cover suggests, the band have taken an even more experimental and unorthodox route on this album - literally contorting and transforming their tried-and-true sound. It's a highly fascinating, unpredictable affair that demonstrates the incredible versatility and creativity of this underrated band. And let me add that Dave Condon's vocals sound absolutely vicious in parts which is one of the main strengths of this album in addition to the music itself. In all, this is a chaotic beast of an album that takes black metal in new directions and cements this band's legacy.
9/10