Growing up in the 1980s, two things were burned into our brains: Marijuana was a gateway drug that would either kill you or have you hopelessly addicted to heroin and cocaine imminently, and that Russia and the United States were bitter enemies that would potentially slaughter each other and end the world in nuclear holocaust. Metal…
Obviously the U.S. and Russia still are openly hostile when it comes to government relations, but the people who live in those countries do not hate each other. Why would we? Oh, and marijuana is the deadliest drug on earth. That’s just science. But today, we have a split from Russian force Gosudar and American crushers Malignant Altar proving we can all come to an understanding under the banners of doom and death metal. This five-track collection brings these forces from across the planet together and delivers a forceful display as destructive as any warhead and warps you from the inside out. Gosudar are a little grimier and delve deep in the doomier waters whereas Malignant Altar serve death metal as scathing and menacing as they come. It’s a perfect match.
Gosudar opens with “Mortified Transformation” that instantly jams you into a murky haze before doom and death sprawl, and the growls aim to gut you alive. The playing trudges while the leads scorch, making way for muddy, clubbing fury and the vocals slithering through viscous waters. Animalistic howls sever nerves as the tempo slows but remains heavy, and everything is crushed totally and completely as the air is forced from your lungs. “Domination of Irreality” fades in and begins mashing, the growls pummeling as the earth moves beneath everything. Filth piles up as the stress multiplies, the drums crush, and the vocals wretch before the playing explodes. Chaos erupts while the guitars drill into rock, growls maul, and everything ends in blackened brutality.
Malignant Altar starts with “Malfeasance (Inexorable Enmity)” that explodes in a death metal assault, the riffs entangling as the growls explode and spatter. Your sanity is mangled as the leads catch fire, and doom horns signal the fear you’ve held deep inside coming to pass as molten terror flexes its muscles. Atmospheric strangeness lands as the guitars fire away, drilling everything into the heart of the blaze. “The Awakening of the Majestic Darkness” is their take of the Imprecation track from the 1993 EP “Sigil of Baphomet.” It’s vile and molten, evil and in the midst of slaughter, a devastating version of a track that had a major impact on the band and underground death metal, as punishing a tribute possible.
Over these hostile 28 minutes, Gosudar and Malignant Altar prove bands from entirely different worlds can speak the same language when it comes to death and doom filth. There’s nary a moment to breathe, and over these four tracks, your mind will suffer mental wounds you can’t easily soothe. This split drips with ill intent, bathing in nothing but blood and guts.
For more on Gosudar, go here: https://www.facebook.com/gosudardeath/
For more on Malignant Altar, go here: https://malignantaltar.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/shop/gosudar-malignant-altar-split-12/
Or here: https://www.rottedlife.com/all-products
For more on the label, go here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/
And here: https://www.rottedlife.com/
Meat Mead Metal 