Formed in 1998 from Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia, Asphyxiate are a brutal death metal band who’s name isn’t recognized within the extreme metal world but for a band from Indonesia who have the most dedicated fans in brutal death metal, Asphyxiate are back to make their most ambitious and accessible albums in their career with 2021’s New Standard Elite release of Altar Of Decomposed. Following up to their 2013’s Self Transform from Decayed Flesh album which was my introduction to this band, this band have a strong emphasis and background to combine visceral and energetic progressions for the brutal death metal community but this time around, they’ve turn back the clock and created a album that is heavy, slammy, eviscerated and tormented to have your ears plastered and unglued on how sophisticated and expansive this band came ways since the deception of their career.
Altar Of Decomposed continues in the right musical direction as their technical elements, catchy atmosphere passages and matured songwriting these Indonesians kept this album not only a incredibly crafted brutal death metal release but it also features some explosive melodies and wonderfully made structures makes the album a entertaining experience to listen to. Even the opening track Blood Feasting Ripping Putrescent demonstrates what this band has to offer from the vocals engulfed with virtuosity, to the more sinister and maddening assaults to keep their instrumentals, mixing and the chemistry displayed here is nothing but fantastic all the way through.
Then with other songs like Desecration Through Slaughter, Inhuman Catharsis and Sickening Canvas of the Dead for example is a great representation with the songs focusing on rampant energies, whirls with hysteria and within the constant rotations of the instruments played in the album it’s absolutely on point continuing to provide hectic drum work, and a layer of bass pumping away at the album’s greatest foundation to date. Altar Of Decomposed takes brutal death metal to whole new level to explore variety, experimentation and keeping the listeners engaged to witness such great extremities of extreme metal.
Overall Score: 9.0/10
Review by Jake Butler
