Review by Michael on August 18, 2026.

I remember how super impressed I was when The Night Eternal's second album "Fatale" was released in 2023. In my review I mentioned influences such as Iron Maiden, Danzig, Tribulation and even Heroes del Silencio.

Now we are three years, many wars and other bullshit plus a record label change from Ván to Metal Blade later and Ricardo is singing about "Where This World End". But not in an angry voice, no these lines are sung in a calm, sad and melancholic way. I guess this is the best way to express what is going on around us each and every day this summer. And everybody stands alone, through empty skies, flesh and bone, to quote the rest of the chorus.

Wow, what a song to start with the album. Impressive, powerful and full of drama. But this is only the beginning of "Cold Velvet". "Eurydice (Don't Look Back)" kicks off with an almost danceable riff and tends more into a mixture of 80s stadium rock paired with a lot of gothic elements. Out comes a song that isn't as gloomy as the opener but still shines here and there some sadness through the superficial happy melodies.

"When The Last Candle Dies" is asking the listener for the last dance before all will end. Once again the guys have written some really sad melodies with that song and the vocals sound as if it all will end after this track. But fortunately it is just the fourth one on the album.

With "The Veins Of Time" and "The Watcher Of The Burning Veil" are two tracks on "Cold Velvet" that could have also been on the previous albums. That doesn't mean that they are weaker than the rest of the album but maybe they're a little bit less spectacular than the rest although the Iron Maiden influences in "The Watcher Of The Burning Veil" are very obvious and sound really cool. That song could have also been a good one on the Bruce Dickinson comeback from 2000, "Brave New World".

The most interesting song for me personally is "Caught In A Spell". Sounding like a Bon Jovi song from "Slippery When Wet" at the beginning it evolves into a pop-like track that still smells like the 80s. That is quite a daring step from the band and I guess it worked out well.

"Shape Of Sorrow" is probably the fastest track on the album, starting with some Maidenesque riffing. The drums are quite thunderous and full of pressure and so are the vocals. Ricardo's voice is more aggressive compared to the other tracks and this is a welcome change to the rest of "Cold Velvet". This is probably the most heavy metal track with a nice guitar solo in the middle of it and really kicks ass.

Once again the guys from the Ruhr Area have written a superb album and I hope that they will get the deserved attention with it. Here everything matches perfectly, only you need the right atmosphere to sink deep into that ocean of melancholy.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Carl on November 1, 2026.

A while ago, I wrote a review for the war metal band Blood Altar, so wouldn't it make sense for me to write one for Altar Blood as well? In my view, it certainly does, so let's have a gander at this one.

It's partly due to the raw and somewhat unbalanced production on their debut full-length that Altar Blood had me thinking of equally peculiar-sounding bands of old, such as Excruciating Pain, Goatlord, or Vital Remains on their first album. On the other hand, they also employ a formula that reminds me of those dark-edged US death metal acts of the early '90s. Altar Blood offers up an obscure-sounding concoction of low, growling vocals, blasting aggression, and doomed-out sections, with the occasional addition of sparse keyboards providing an atmospheric touch. There's a dark edge to Altar Blood's rumbling old-school death metal, something that goes very well with the uncouth and primitive execution of the music, creating an obscure atmosphere throughout the album's runtime, which I can certainly appreciate.

Something I appreciated less, however, were the gang vocals in 'Scattered Putrefication'. They sound pretty out of place within the framework of an album like 'From The Darkest Chasms'. To me, this had all the vibe of someone loudly exclaiming "Whoohoo!! Party time!!!" while shotgunning a can of beer during a child's funeral. In other words, it sounded pretty misplaced, alright. Aside from this criticism, I do dig what Altar Blood offers up on their first full-length, providing oodles of grainy, obscure-sounding death metal, executed in a fittingly rough manner.

The production here is, however, very much of the 'love-it-or-leave-it' school of sound mixing. I appreciate the gruff guitar sound, which gives the riffs a lethal kind of chainsaw vibe, as well as the mostly unprocessed treatment of the percussion and roaring vocals. At times, though, the balance between the instruments gets a little wonky. Sometimes the vocals and drums push the guitars into the background, while at other times the vocals shove the percussion to the back of the mix. Ultimately, it's not all that disastrous in the grand scheme of things, and it even gives the whole affair an added dose of old-school underground charm. Still, for the more discriminating listener, it might be something of a deal-breaker. Good thing I don't discriminate, then, because I dig this.

If you get your shit rocked by bands like Incantation, Mvltification, Disma, or any of those mentioned earlier, Altar Blood will make a fine addition to that bunch. The production may veer into slightly amateurish territory here and there, but for me, that only adds to the boorish charm and primitive delivery on offer.

After all, you don't want your dark death metal to sound too shiny and upbeat, now do you?

Rating: 7.5 out of 10