A new death metal split featuring Gosudar and Malignant Altar is a gateway to the dark beyond.

I love splits. They give you two bands to hear and, because each one gets a full side you, there is depth for you to consider and enjoy. Gosudar is a band from Russia that appeared in 2018. This split is their first release since the debut full-length album Morbid Despotic Ritual (2021). Malignant Altar comes from Houston, Texas and started in the same year as Gosudar. Coincidentally, they also released their debut long-player in 2021, Realms of Exquisite Morbidity.

Each band offers two tracks. Let’s talk about Gosudar first. “Mortified Transformation” is a ten-minute epic that starts off with warbling warning tones. Harken unto them, because the doom wall hits hard, leading the way toward pummeling death metal. The growling vocals chew you up and the rhythm section pounds you to paste. The music mixes some of my favorite heavy elements into an irresistible concoction. “Domination of Irreality” is another heavy slab of metal. It is more stabby, sharper, with a determined attack, complementing the first track perfectly.

Malignant Altar lays down “Malfeasance (Inexorable Enmity)” first. Born in a blackened death metal landscape and ripped from the dark cosmos, the spines and edges scrape your bones clean. The rumbling percussion rummages through your remains, leaving you with nothing. The second track is a cover of the Imprecation song “The Awakening of the Majestic Darkness,” from the 1993 EP Sigil of Baphomet. Its resurrection here is an homage and a determined act. It is great interpretation and an excellent way to wrap up the split. Recommended.

The split is out on Friday December 16^th through Me Saco Un Ojo Records and Rotted Life Records. Investigate the many links below to find what most appeals to you.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://mesacounojo.bandcamp.com/album/split-12

Gosudar Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gosudardeath

Malignant Altar, https://malignantaltar.bandcamp.com/

Rotted Life Records, https://www.rottedlife.com/

Me Saco Un Ojo Records, https://www.mesacounojo.com/

© Wayne Edwards