RSS Feed


ACOLYTE
Alta

Mordgrimm (2013)
Rating: 7/10

Manchester, England’s Acolyte return with their debut full-length, Alta, after a successful run with their debut EP, Leng, released in 2011. The band were raised on thought-provoking metal acts such as Blut Aus Nord and Virus (Norway) and it shows, particularly in their guitar work and their atmospheric, non-operatic, approach to their songwriting.

Falling largely into the progressive black metal category, Alta, has an almost rock ’n’ roll underpinning that also reminds me a bit of bands like Khold and Satyricon.

Like any good black metal descendent, Alta opens with short and unimpressive introduction that I imagine is supposed to set a haunting atmosphere before slowly building into ‘Charybdis’. It’s a very predictable way to start the album but, as there are two sides to every coin, it’s also a very straightforward introduction. ‘Charybdis’, ‘The Ashenground’ and the more brazenly epic ‘Epistle’ (which clocks in at over 11 minutes) represent the band at their most brutal all around and will likely appeal the most to fans of the extreme.

It’s the sort-of death ‘n’ roll tunes here that hold my attention though. The superb ‘Leng’ has a fair amount of black metal to it but its rhythms keep it moving and grooving along in an intriguing way. I’m a big fan of groove and the band do an excellent job here of keeping you involved deeply without losing any of the brutality you expect from an extreme metal album.

‘Sunrise’ is another one that impresses with its rock ’n’ roll movements and utter brutality. It reminds me a little (during the faster parts) of Darkthrone’s last few albums but pulls the progressive elements in beautifully with dissonant guitar work and slowed rhythms mid-song.

‘Vultures’ utilizes the pounding rhythms as well, but this time the guitars chime in with a more riff-oriented approach. It’s not as fluid as the other two tracks I mentioned but it has the same general feel. The breakdown towards the end though is really excellent and endears you towards the overall song by the time it comes to a close. Ending with an absolutely ripping guitar solo doesn’t hurt either!

The mix is a sticking point here for me. While the production is solid, the mix makes some songs really hard to get into. Especially through headphones, Alta sounds thin and the guitars and vocals overpower the band’s excellent rhythm section. On top of that the chainsaw leaning guitar work tends to be shrill, as is typical of underground extreme metal, and it can great on you after awhile due to it being so loud in the mix.

Overall though, this is an intriguing debut. Acolyte show a ton of potential and could very well be the band you don’t want to miss out on. Alta is raw and ugly and extremely personal sounding much like the debut of Khold (2001’s Masterpiss Of Pain) and the mighty Emperor (1994’s In The Nightside Eclipse).

Mark Fisher

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share