Review by JD on December 3, 2008.

'Government by a God'... that is the exactly what this Athens, Georgia band's name literally means. Seems to me like a perfect name for them... This trio of men certainly knows how to go for it all in a very big way, and does not care if some might call it cheesy in any way. It is cheese we all love at some time.

If you take the musical might of progressive bands like Stratovarius and Dragonforce... mix in some 80's hair metal like Europe, then simply speed it all up then write some very blunt Christian styled lyrics which are quite smartly written... then have it produced so well, it seems that it is nearly over-produced in the end. With all of that put together...you end up with the band called Theocracy.

Anthemic and nearly grandiose to a fault, the band explodes out with passion and fire throughout the album. Songs like 'A Tower Of Ashes' and 'Laying The Demon To Rest' are symphonically put together and harkens back to the layered sounds of the late 80's and even very early 90's. They tell stories straight from the bible and history, but never once do they seem as if they are bashing you over the head with the good book. It is religion that can be lived with.

The title track is the most impressive song on the CD, and clocks in at a whopping twenty two minutes and twenty six seconds long while never once seeming boring or even too long for the most of it. It shows that they are all (three piece unit) great musicians and can write well. That, for a band, is the most potent weapon that any band can ever have... and these guys use it so well.

Theocracy... they are the next force in Symphonic styled Progressive-ish metal with God in mind... hopefully people will see that they play very well, and forgive the band's religious overtones on the process.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Originality:7
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Review by Alex on November 5, 2018.

Old school death metal produced with a claustrophobic sound; a touch of doom, a very slight tease of Vastum's Patricidal Lust (riff-wise) and a severe lynching of vocals bellowed from the guts of hell. Altar of Decay is a no-nonsense release; from the artwork that yells "What in the unholy cunt of Mary!", to the deep atmosphere and clutching nostalgic element of an era so beloved; prepare to be dropped and dragged face first onto the cold smoggy concrete of early 90's death metal.

The snare drum has a very raw black metal sound to it. There is a distinguishable sloppy sound the drums create especially on the track "Blood Chasm". This brings back that feeling of death metal in its most primitive and savage years; that period being 1990-1993 with releases like Disembowel's (Netherlands) "A Matter of Splatter" 1991 and Mindrot's self-titled demo 1990. The drumming is a strong example of what simplicity can produce once executed with the dedication to and knowledge of the craft.

The doomy sections are some of the most unnerving you will ever hear. They can easily pass as samples for Bela Lugosi's Dracula or Camillo Mastrocinque's Crypt of the Vampire. An example of this can be heard in the opening of the track "Vitiated Mortality". The guitar is played slowly thus placing an apprehensive feeling in the listener. Chase's guitars help in the conjuring some of the most unsettling images you would preferably see only in a state of unconsciousness.

The shared vocals by both Alex Mody (drums) and Max Bowman (guitars) are fairly deep and have a very doomy edge to them. What I appreciate the most is that they don't bombard the music being played, meaning; vocal passages aren't being sung throughout the length of any particular track. They give the rest of the music a chance to immerse the listener in its soggy garden of bodily fluids and decomposing limbs.

That sample of revolting laughter on Blood Charm at the 2:49 mark, competes for the title of most sincerely sinister laugh ever. The number 1 spot for most sincerely sinister laughter is currently held by Incantation with "Desecration (Of the Heavenly Graceful)" at the 4:25 mark.

Altar of Decay is a product of much dedication, skill, and might. A simple yet profound particle of death metal that wishes to remain loyal to the days of old. It pays homage to the foundation in which so many other forms of death metal have sprouted from; that being brutal death metal, grindcore, slam, etc. Mortiferum has generated much buzz in the underground death metal scene with their debut offering, Altar of Decay. I foresee great things on the horizon for Mortiferum should they continue to release such stellar and well thought out compositions.

Rating: 9.4 out of 10