Channeling destruction, death and fiery rebirth as the dust refuses to settle upon a permanently shattered realm Helsinki, Finland-borne doom metal trio ALTAR OF BETELGEUZE return after seven long years, having been delayed twice as long as intended, with a third full-length album which sustains great change while resounding with its own core fortitudes. With deathlike extremity and an old hand of doom swinging wide ‘Echoes‘ arrives upon its own modern notions of gloom-sowing which are yet rooted in the most effective traditions of the sub-genre. Though the various parts and pieces which comprise this record make great sense in motion it could still be said that they’ve avoided the status quo here on album number three and that counts for a lot when considering the strong personality enacted herein and how that translates to songcraft which sticks and riffs with the exact right low feeling yanked along in tow.

Altar of Betelgeuze formed in 2010 between Matias Nastolin (Desolate Realm) and Olli Suurmunne (Kaiser) who’d likewise formed death metal band Decaying that same year, joined by folks who’ve been associated with Valravn, Cardinal’s Folly, among others since then. The initial focus of the band was arguably more of a psychedelic doom meets death metal vocal type venture with a jammed-loose feeling supplied by Nastolin‘s sharply exaggerated bass guitar work and tentative stylistic focus as their first EP (‘At the Shrine of Light‘, 2012) released. The idea makes great sense on paper as we consider the peaking definition of Finnish traditional doom metal of the era and the heavier sensibilities of their ‘old school’ underground death metal focus elsewhere. I’d personally discovered this band when their debut LP (‘Darkness Sustains the Silence‘, 2014) was recommended to me as a fan of traditional doom metal as well as Decaying’s tank-blasted death metal style since. Their work was already a unique prospect and enough that it’d confused sub-genre specialists up front as their (then) dual vocalist approach between bassist/harsh vocalist Nastolin and guitarist/clean vocalist Suurmunne meant one moment might have the heavy rock swing of Pentagram inspired stoner/doom metal and the next line might roar as any proper ‘old school’ death/doom vocalist would. With so much range to pull from and with a million directions to head into I’d say there was plenty of potential for greatness there to start.

As Altar of Betelgeuze passed from album number one to their sophomore release (‘Among the Ruins‘, 2017) Suurmune‘s vocals had fully taken on their sort of early 90’s grunge/heavy rock tone (earlier Chris Cornell, if we can ballpark it) and this’d probably been a challenge for extreme doom fandom but easily lined up for folks who can hang with a desert/stoner rock or an early sludge metal record just as well as full-fledged death/doom metal experience. While I appreciated the unique nature of their combined styles on that album I’m not so sure everything had lined up exactly right the second time around. As Altar of Betelgeuze became darker, doomed and even more infused with traditional doom metal interest they’d crossed some wires with the stoney heavy rock movement elsewhere, the clean vocals were strong but almost at odds with the tone of the music otherwise. That album held up better than expected but I do think that ‘Echoes‘ finds a more reasonable path between traditional doom metal, stoner metal, and might even smartly wheel into full-on death/doom and death n’ roll territory to get there.

A handful of years later Nastolin is the sole vocalist for album number three as Suurmunne (or, Otu) has focused on music production and YouTube-related content since 2019. This not only finds this album, which was recorded between 2020-2021, more centered on one main songwriter’s ideas but also now tasks the bassist/vocalist with additional guitar and clean singing duties all of which he handles incredibly well. Beyond the reduction down to just one vocalist the most clear and present change that occurs here, and likely what will draw in the death/doom and traditional doom metal enjoyers into view for the first time, is that they’ve stepped away from the stoner rock attuned aspect of the previous releases almost entirely. Opener “On the Verge” showcases this more severe tone split between the melodramatic doom of the early 90’s, something like Paradise Lost‘s evolution and the thicker rhythmic phrasing of sludge (Crowbar, in case you’re under thirty-five y/o) within that same era. Though the stylized detail of the band’s compositions had been enjoyably convoluted at times in the past this opener showcases the intricate rhythmic pathos of their current development being handled, sorted into tuneful and expressive song without becoming muddled in statement.

“Conclusion” is expertly placed up front on the running order as an obviate standout and the expectation of quality set for the whole of ‘Echoes‘ as we get the bass guitar and rhythm guitar tracks presenting a brilliantly harmonized introduction before the lumbering and haze-ridden main riff saunters in. At this point we’ve stumbling into this difficult to pin down zone where traditional doom metal movement finds its residence, perhaps something akin to an old Maryland doom metal record (the second The Obsessed record comes to mind) in the mid-90’s or a Matravers-era Solstice record, huddling around a great big riff and allowing it to brood and thunder in place. This’d caught my ear and won quick fealty for its deceptively simple arrangement and classics-bound voice, a mournful act which further sets the tone for the full listen. Beyond that point “Embrace the Flames” introduces some of the more soaring yet hoarse vocals from Nastolin and to great effect, giving the stonier nigh death n’ roll piece a gruff, bluesy edge (see also: “Salvation”) as it swings through. We’re not leagues separated from what one’d expect from Altar of Betelgeuze in terms of style but already their simple yet effective songcraft finds more expressive gust to its movement beyond the weirding jerk of previous releases, it is a steadier and more memorable ride up front.

The two pieces which serve to close the ‘Echoes‘ experience are substantial in the sense that they compound the major dynamic introduced by the first half as we get another hit of death/doom metal within the slow climb of the title track (“Echoes“) and a more focused finisher with “Fading Light”, which does well to echo the somewhat intricate riffcraft that’d opened the album in form. Upon my first two or three runs through the full listen I’d been most surprised at Altar of Betelgeuze‘s focus on growled death metal vocals, unafraid of leaning into this tuneful extremity without contrasting starkly with the clean-sung vocals otherwise. To my ear this recalls the rare shade of death n’ roll bands and death/doom metal bands from early 90’s Finnish death metal to some degree while sustaining their knack for traditional doom metal riffcraft which isn’t so resolutely stuck in the 90’s. Their work still effectively represents the fundamental juxtaposition of sub-genre forms they’d arrived with over a decade ago but now manages a more approachable, centered version of themselves and the resulting set of songs should bear much broader appeal than before. A high recommendation.

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