UPON THE ALTAR is a blackened death metal band from Poland who formed in 2019.  " Absid Ab Ordine Luminis," is their debut full length album. A demo was also releases in 2019. This album has a true, raw sound to it at, least as far as my personal tastes are concerned. The production adds to this but it isn't so raw that it can't be enjoyed. The band is as much at home playing with that famous blackened speed as they are slowing it down to the depth of crushing death metal goodness.

What I appreciate the most about this album are the guitars and bass. The structures of the songs aren't based around nonstop tremolo picking and playing the same riff over and over for seven minutes. Speaking of length this album is seven songs with a 35 minute run time. For this style, I found this absolutely perfect. The vocals are searing but I could do without the strange reverb/echo that highlights the bulk of the vocal lines.

The first track "Crown Of Weakness," is built around fast past riffs, meaty double bass and a evil atmosphere. The song has moments where the tempo drops to doom metal levels and I find that is where the song, and the album itself, is most effective. Unfortunately, all the songs sound too familiar with each other. There isn't a bad track per say but if you heard one then you have really heard them all.  A lot of bands can do this well and can make the same album over and over again.  However when things are this raw and such nerves exposed, I just need a little more.

The flurry and fury of the drums makes "Expire" stand out early on and the riffs are some of the album's, especially the choppy, galloping mid section. "Blasphemare Absens Fides," is filled with dirty grooves that are bolstered by a stellar drum performance and a destitute atmosphere. The movement from 330 to 4:15  is probably the most intense moment on the album.

The final track "Hapax Legamenon," is my favorite on the album. It is  a brutal track, using a strong foundation of bass and drums to move forward from one pulverizing section to another. Although this album has some solid individual elements, when put together they don't have any real staying power for me. It isn't a bad album by any means but it isn't overly memorable.