From Bandcamp, “We are UPON THE ALTAR. Pure, evil tribute to the nineties. Only the endless black hatred and one clear manifesto: DESTROY ALL LIFE.” Hailing from Poland, this is the band’s sophomore release, and it has eight songs. “Baneful Benediction” is first and is marred by ominous brass notes and a very low and heavy sound that is muted in terms of its production. The harsh vocals are quiet in the mix and are more like whispers than anything else. “Horror Vacui” has a weighted bottom end that the production supports perfectly. The music however isn’t very linear or easy for the listener to grasp, and it is fairly simple in scope.

“Jaldabaoth’s Breath” refers to a malevolent God and demiurge in various Gnostic sects and movements, sometimes represented as a theriomorphic, lion-headed serpent. He is identified as the false god who keeps the souls trapped in physical bodies, imprisoned in the material universe. “Unholy Follows” exposes some of the band’s amateur qualities, especially in the meter. So far, the album isn’t very inventive either, save for the effect of the low and muted production. “Malicious Holiness” has a good deal of evil sounds to it, especially in the music. Besides that however, the lead guitar work is spastic.

“Annunciation” is a very low and slow moving song, to the point where the molecules of the music nearly slow to a halt. The title track moves with a bit more energy, although the production value keeps the song sounding thick and muddy. Again, the lead work is pretty bad. The album wasn’t a total loss, but the best part for me was the way the production created a muddy sound. The songs themselves were not very good, although there were harrowing elements to the music. Unless you are an old school Black Metal purist, there isn’t much new to listen to here.