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CD Review: Full Dynamic Range Rules! - Witness the majesty of Morbid Angel's debut LP "Altars of Madness". This record is a singularity in the pantheon of extreme music. Born from a scene that was already coming up against it's inherent limitations, MA somehow transcended into timeless glory on this album. Guitarist/mastermind Trey Azagthoth is a true genius whose name doesn't make it on to very many "best guitarist" lists outside of the metal underground, but this is the mainstreams loss. David Vincent's vocals are simultaneously guttural, yet decipherable, becoming iconic in their own right. The drumming of Pete Sandoval-well, this is the stuff of legend. Many a band from Florida in the late 80s/early 90s was fast, but not THIS fast. Pete pushed the speed limit of death metal to grindcore tempos (see-Terrorizer), giving rise to the genre of death/grind. One could make and argument that Repulsion already did that a few years back with their "Horrified" LP, but even that record couldn't touch the musicianship on display here. Add to this the often talked about "otherworldly" vibe that the record exudes and you have a bone fide masterpiece on you hands. All of that out of the way, this review is based on the recent Earache reissue of the record on LP and CD as part of their "Expanded Dynamic Range" series. Several classic Earache releases are getting this treatment, and I for one applaud it. Throughout the 90s and part of the 2000s, "remaster" came to be a dirty word for music fans. It usually mean that the record in question was going to come out sounding like bricked out garbage. Victims of the "Loudness War", (look this up for an afternoon of intriguing reading!) remastered albums hitting the shelves were lacking in highs and lows, with everything crammed into the middle and then made LOUD. They sounded awful, and completely ruined the intended sound of the original recordings. The cure? Go back to the original master tapes, clean them up to get them sounding as authentic to the recording sessions as possible, and press them with the dynamic range (basically the sonic difference between quiet and loud moments on the record) fully intact. When you play them, they don't sound much louder than the original copy you probably own. But when you turn the volume up, it's a pleasant surprise to not have your ears blown out! For the music fans who care about this stuff, these editions are worthy additions to their collections without a doubt. My only beef with this particular record is that there is no CD booklet. The EDR versions of Napalm Death's first 2 LPs came with booklets of lyrics/photos. So, it's pretty bare bones on that count and it leads me to believe that someone like myself who has had a copy of this record for 29 years is the intended audience. Keep the original for lyrics and photos (and the 3 remixes!) and play the new one LOUDLY!!! A side by side play comparison with my original CD from 1989 gives the sonic edge to the new one in volume by only a hair. No big deal, with the point being how does it stack up when the volume knob gets turned clockwise? The EDR really kicks in when you crank it up, sounding full, balanced and preserved at high volume. The original CD had a limit to the volume you could play it on without getting grating to the ears. In the final analysis of this reissue, it's a winner and Earache earns your cash for it. Now go buy it!!! Review: This dilapidated "unreal" foundation is cleared away - Morbid Angel's message is about thinking for yourself. To be a force that loosens and helps to tear down the conditioned limiting paradigms which enslave mankind by blocking the realization, flow and manifestation of Spirit in their lives. To interrupt the mass hypnosis that hinders one's pursuit of their dreams and causes the illusion of separation from the Higher Self. To promote clarity and to quiet the clamoring of those treacherous ones who seem only to wish confusion and belittlement upon mankind by influencing us to willingly receive and find comfort in these shackles presented to us all by the falsifiers. To shine some light, which removes the shadows and illusions, so we all may reach the potential that is ours by birthright. And it's not about destroying those who try to manipulate for they are already their own worst enemy, but rather to first remove within ourselves the fear induced confusion which would give nourishment to their unskilled influences and ultimately give aid to those disconnected ones as to help free themselves from their own sufferings and "sin". Only once this dilapidated "unreal" foundation is cleared away can the individual witness the Affluence Of The Living Continuum and utilize the magic that is deep within each and everyone of us, always. ALTARS OF MADNESS "One man's insanity is another man's genius and from these altars of madness the heretic rejoices in things unseen." After several years of experimenting and lineup changes all was finally in place for our first record. Altars Of Madness, a title so fitting for this was truly a product of divine intervention, a meeting with The Most Ancient Of The Days. Inspirations only possible through our commitment to the Ancient Ones. "We willfully give of ourselves to be your instrument on this earth." Like every recording that followed, we received a bit of "opposition" from those who found their strength through aligning their beliefs and meanings with this or that group. Paradigm Shifters are always dealt a large portion of resistance before they are accepted and embraced. All the pain and rejection was well worth it for we have inspired and motivated many musicians and therefore did our part to keep the cycle going. It was only due to our commitment to the Ancient Ones that resulted in this extreme "living" music but it wasn't for the casual "it's cool to be fooled" listener. During this time I couldn't be bothered to have to conform to certain keys or scales and for some who witnessed Morbid Angel live it was an experience that was quite painful to the eyes and mind. This music was pure chaos and chaos can cause confusion to those conditioned by certain doctrines of musical, and even overall discernment foundational orders. It's from these fashioned systems of thinking and the presuppositions resulting that create useless oceans of illusions that some unknowingly spend their lives drowning in. All that there is - is here and now. The wake never propels the boat and it's only through the attachments of the ego holding on to the past and creating a dependency on how others abide by one's hierarchy of rules that causes the toils of sin. The "burning in hell" Christian concept at best reflects on the suffering brought about by one's determination to hold on to such illusions while the Higher Self is subtly showing that these attempts are the works of folly. That with such efforts men confuses iron shackles with golden chains, luxurious palaces with sorrow filled dungeons, respect with fear, and all the while adding more concrete to his cell. The self-made prison in which he further buries himself in this realm of time and space, this realm of illusions, this realm of the mundane. It is only through one's investment into such falseness that causes one's "separation" and blindness to the cornucopia and affluence that is in everyone by birthright. Trey Azagthoth
S**S
Full Dynamic Range Rules!
Witness the majesty of Morbid Angel's debut LP "Altars of Madness". This record is a singularity in the pantheon of extreme music. Born from a scene that was already coming up against it's inherent limitations, MA somehow transcended into timeless glory on this album. Guitarist/mastermind Trey Azagthoth is a true genius whose name doesn't make it on to very many "best guitarist" lists outside of the metal underground, but this is the mainstreams loss. David Vincent's vocals are simultaneously guttural, yet decipherable, becoming iconic in their own right. The drumming of Pete Sandoval-well, this is the stuff of legend. Many a band from Florida in the late 80s/early 90s was fast, but not THIS fast. Pete pushed the speed limit of death metal to grindcore tempos (see-Terrorizer), giving rise to the genre of death/grind. One could make and argument that Repulsion already did that a few years back with their "Horrified" LP, but even that record couldn't touch the musicianship on display here. Add to this the often talked about "otherworldly" vibe that the record exudes and you have a bone fide masterpiece on you hands. All of that out of the way, this review is based on the recent Earache reissue of the record on LP and CD as part of their "Expanded Dynamic Range" series. Several classic Earache releases are getting this treatment, and I for one applaud it. Throughout the 90s and part of the 2000s, "remaster" came to be a dirty word for music fans. It usually mean that the record in question was going to come out sounding like bricked out garbage. Victims of the "Loudness War", (look this up for an afternoon of intriguing reading!) remastered albums hitting the shelves were lacking in highs and lows, with everything crammed into the middle and then made LOUD. They sounded awful, and completely ruined the intended sound of the original recordings. The cure? Go back to the original master tapes, clean them up to get them sounding as authentic to the recording sessions as possible, and press them with the dynamic range (basically the sonic difference between quiet and loud moments on the record) fully intact. When you play them, they don't sound much louder than the original copy you probably own. But when you turn the volume up, it's a pleasant surprise to not have your ears blown out! For the music fans who care about this stuff, these editions are worthy additions to their collections without a doubt. My only beef with this particular record is that there is no CD booklet. The EDR versions of Napalm Death's first 2 LPs came with booklets of lyrics/photos. So, it's pretty bare bones on that count and it leads me to believe that someone like myself who has had a copy of this record for 29 years is the intended audience. Keep the original for lyrics and photos (and the 3 remixes!) and play the new one LOUDLY!!! A side by side play comparison with my original CD from 1989 gives the sonic edge to the new one in volume by only a hair. No big deal, with the point being how does it stack up when the volume knob gets turned clockwise? The EDR really kicks in when you crank it up, sounding full, balanced and preserved at high volume. The original CD had a limit to the volume you could play it on without getting grating to the ears. In the final analysis of this reissue, it's a winner and Earache earns your cash for it. Now go buy it!!!
H**S
This dilapidated "unreal" foundation is cleared away
Morbid Angel's message is about thinking for yourself. To be a force that loosens and helps to tear down the conditioned limiting paradigms which enslave mankind by blocking the realization, flow and manifestation of Spirit in their lives. To interrupt the mass hypnosis that hinders one's pursuit of their dreams and causes the illusion of separation from the Higher Self. To promote clarity and to quiet the clamoring of those treacherous ones who seem only to wish confusion and belittlement upon mankind by influencing us to willingly receive and find comfort in these shackles presented to us all by the falsifiers. To shine some light, which removes the shadows and illusions, so we all may reach the potential that is ours by birthright. And it's not about destroying those who try to manipulate for they are already their own worst enemy, but rather to first remove within ourselves the fear induced confusion which would give nourishment to their unskilled influences and ultimately give aid to those disconnected ones as to help free themselves from their own sufferings and "sin". Only once this dilapidated "unreal" foundation is cleared away can the individual witness the Affluence Of The Living Continuum and utilize the magic that is deep within each and everyone of us, always. ALTARS OF MADNESS "One man's insanity is another man's genius and from these altars of madness the heretic rejoices in things unseen." After several years of experimenting and lineup changes all was finally in place for our first record. Altars Of Madness, a title so fitting for this was truly a product of divine intervention, a meeting with The Most Ancient Of The Days. Inspirations only possible through our commitment to the Ancient Ones. "We willfully give of ourselves to be your instrument on this earth." Like every recording that followed, we received a bit of "opposition" from those who found their strength through aligning their beliefs and meanings with this or that group. Paradigm Shifters are always dealt a large portion of resistance before they are accepted and embraced. All the pain and rejection was well worth it for we have inspired and motivated many musicians and therefore did our part to keep the cycle going. It was only due to our commitment to the Ancient Ones that resulted in this extreme "living" music but it wasn't for the casual "it's cool to be fooled" listener. During this time I couldn't be bothered to have to conform to certain keys or scales and for some who witnessed Morbid Angel live it was an experience that was quite painful to the eyes and mind. This music was pure chaos and chaos can cause confusion to those conditioned by certain doctrines of musical, and even overall discernment foundational orders. It's from these fashioned systems of thinking and the presuppositions resulting that create useless oceans of illusions that some unknowingly spend their lives drowning in. All that there is - is here and now. The wake never propels the boat and it's only through the attachments of the ego holding on to the past and creating a dependency on how others abide by one's hierarchy of rules that causes the toils of sin. The "burning in hell" Christian concept at best reflects on the suffering brought about by one's determination to hold on to such illusions while the Higher Self is subtly showing that these attempts are the works of folly. That with such efforts men confuses iron shackles with golden chains, luxurious palaces with sorrow filled dungeons, respect with fear, and all the while adding more concrete to his cell. The self-made prison in which he further buries himself in this realm of time and space, this realm of illusions, this realm of the mundane. It is only through one's investment into such falseness that causes one's "separation" and blindness to the cornucopia and affluence that is in everyone by birthright. Trey Azagthoth
M**5
Death metal masterpiece!
What can really be said about Morbid Angel's "Altars of Madness" that hasn't already been stretched over the past 15+ reviews? Plainly, it's a genuinely bludgeoning, visceral, blood-curdling display of satanic death metal, that somehow manages to remain technical, precise and consistent throughout all of its 10 tracks. If I could liken each Morbid Angel to a criminal, this would, without a doubt, be the kerosene-wielding church-burning maniac. "Altars of Madness" really is that good. Yes, it really is worth all the hype. It's raw. It's brutal. It achieves everything you want from a classic death metal album. And yes, if you haven't already got it, do yourself a massive favour and check it out. Lastly this record got me into death metal so it pretty much has a special place in my heart!
F**K
The beginning of an era.
I've decided that I'm going to write a short review for each of the Morbid Angel albums because I consider MA to be the best pure death metal band on the planet. It all started with Altars of Madness, the album brought death metal into it's own. This was no longer the proto-death thrash established by the(great) Death... This was evil stuff... Blasphemous lyrics, deep, dark growls, agonized screaming, speaking in tongues, evil chanting... You know, death metal. Many people claim that this is the best death metal album ever released... For the most part, I tend to agree with that. Every song on here is great and there is absolutely no filler. Favorite Songs: 1. Suffocation 2. Lord of All Fevers & Plagues 3. Chapel of Ghouls
D**N
One of the best death metal albums!
An amazing record, came in perfect, brand new condition. Couldn’t be happier!
A**R
You’ll love every second.
This album is absolutely fantastic! A devastating force of complex guitars and dark vocals, definitely earns its praise of being one of the best death metal releases ever. Buy it now! Although the cover shown is different for the cd (it’s still really cool). The picture shown is for the vinyl cover. So if you want the super detailed cover, go with the vinyl.
J**.
Great Old School Death Metal🤘
Morbid Angel is from Tampa, Florida. This is Morbid Angel's first full length album made in 1989. The album is a must have for Morbid Angel fans and those who love old school death metal. Also, the sound on this album is very raw and nowhere near as polished sounding when compared to albums like Gateways To Annihilation and other later works. Hope this helped somewhat. It really is a must have for metal lovers.
R**E
Music
Great product! Fast shipping! Thank you!
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