From their EPK, "Fresh after being signed to From The Vaults, epic Doom Metallers ALTAR OF OBLIVION announce the release of the EP "Burning Memories". The five tracks were recorded in 2016 just after the completion of the band's third full-length. Now, seven years later, the EP is finally ready to see the light of day. On it, the band conjures up classic timeless epic Doom metal, whilst at the same time exploring untrodden ground under the gloomy auspices of this Nordic collective."

The title track is the first. It has a mid-tempo pace, and a lively riff, along with clean vocal harmonies, that are dialed up in the chorus. There is a slight feeling of Doom to the music as well, though not that pronounced. "Through the Night" is more like it. A heavy, lumbering riff opens the song, with plenty of Doom influence. There are again a marked presence of harmonized vocals in the chorus, but the gloomy sound pushes through most of the song. The slow-down after the half-way mark is depressive as well. "Cosmic Chaos" is a very short song, with eerie effects from keyboards. It marks the passage to the final two tracks.

"Manic Masquerade" opens with an onslaught of a scream and a fast-moving guitar riff, and even a nice lead guitar run. From there, it settles into slower, grey-ridden skies. The lead guitar section is quite nice as well. "Radiation" closes the album; a short exiting song that provides some context to the album. I suddenly feel like I was transported back in time to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. Radiation poisoning is not instant...it can take a few days or weeks before the real hell begins. The song sneaks around with a devious smile, knowing that the listener has already been poisoned.

Overall, I do wish there were a few more songs to get to know the band better, but I liked what I heard so far. Doom is one of those genres that can be fairly limiting in terms of "staying in its lane," but I appreciate the quartet's willingness to explore different meters and outside sounds while keeping the heart of the genre intact.