Description
Red and black marbled vinyl with gatefold cover. Limited 666 copies
How many bands out there had been playing death metal for that long? How many have helped kick-start a whole movement and are still around to tell the tale? How many have put out such universally-praised albums in the 90s like Disincarnate or Sublime Dementia and are still active these days? You do the math. But while you’re at it, Loudblast and their undisputable leader Stephane Buriez are keeping themselves busy moving forward, as ever. And their ninth full-length Altering Fates And Destinies, sees them reaching another level of sophistication while, at the same time, returning more than ever at the very roots of their craft. It’s been almost four decades since their very first demo Behind The Dark Mist. Yes, that long. The recording of their 2024 album goes as far back as December of 2019. Buriez then moved to Paris and three months later Covid hit. Instead of doing nothing Buriez set out to do what he does best, creating music. Altering Fates And Destinies is their most surprising and daring album of their long career. Even if he voluntary describes the material as pretty old-school, Buriez talks about Altering Fates And Destinies as a very personal album. It’s a good synthesis of what we stand for in 2024. We don’t forget where we come from yet we didn’t set any boundaries and vowed to do whatever the fuck we wanted. Indeed, a track like From Beyond II (The Return) for instance sees them dwelling back in the Lovecraft mythos but also referencing their own history by offering a sequel to a track off their 1989 debut album, Sensorial Treatment which can also be read as the story of their beginning as a band. Hence also why Buriez went sonically for a very organic and natural sounding type of production, devoid of as much of triggered sounds as possible. The end result is a top-quality metal album from an experienced band. Loudblast know how to create great and interesting songs, and make them appealing.
Track list:
1. From Beyond II (The Return)
2. Putrid Age Of Decay
3. Crystal Skin
4. Miserable Failure
5. He Who Slumbers
6. Son Of Nameless Mist
7. Dark Allegiance
8. Inhale The Void
9. Cursed And Veiled
10. Fortress
11. Theyll Never Catch The Glint Of Sunlight Again
12. The Path To The End
13. Forbidden Pleasure