CoC : Ereb Altor - By Honour : Review

Ereb Altor - _By Honour_
(I Hate Records, 2008)
by: Quentin Kalis (8 out of 10)

Named after a supplement to a Swedish "Dungeons and Dragons" (can they be any geekier?) Ereb Altor is an unusual entity that seeks to provide a doomier alternative to Bathory circa _Hammerheart_ / _Twilight of the Idols_. Drawn out and downbeat riffs with minimal changes creating an almost hypnotic effect, whilst a Viking edge is added by fleeting choral vocals, out of key clean vox and acoustic folk passages. At times the impact of the death doom brigade can be felt, but it is minimal compared to that of Bathory. The result is a mix of pastoral romanticism and epic sagas that have a foot in both the doom and Viking realms. They do wear their primary influence a bit too heavily on their collective sleeve, but placed in a unique context that mitigates any copycat suspicions. Perhaps their third album (this is their first for a label) may feature a greater synthesis and evolution.

Contact: http://www.myspace.com/erebaltor

(article published 15/1/2009)

ALBUMS
1/23/2009	A Erickson	8	Ereb Altor - By Honour