Imagine a scene you might remember from a movie, a feeling of total disorientation. You wake from a coma in an unfamiliar location, only to head outside and find buildings crushed, fires, and no sign of anything resembling life as you knew it. As you begin to sift through and walk amongst the rubble, the confusion only worsens. It’s almost like a strange and terrifying dream.

This is the only way I can think to describe the feeling that entered my mind upon hearing Etna, the monstrous first track from Altar, the all-star drone collaboration between titans of the genre Sunn O))) and Boris. Etna is truly a powerful endeavor, beginning with a mixture of low rumbles and ambient noise Sunn O))) fans are used to hearing. However, Boris make their presence felt with additions of dubbed out guitar and Atsuo’s unmistakable feverish drum rolls.

All-star albums are generally tough to predict. There have been just as many that have fallen flat on their face as those who truly work. Due to this, I went into Altar half expecting to hear Boris and Sunn O))) trip over each while trying to make sure each one’s sound is aptly represented. Thankfully, this is not the case. In fact, to the contrary, the melding of sounds absolutely legitimate.

Back to the album, as N.L.T. serves as a pathway out of the chaos of the first track, with merely the odd combination of fluttering bass, a gong, and feedback as the guides. The next track, The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep) is a strange choice. It is tough because I find myself in the precarious, and somewhat nitpicky, position of criticizing a song not for its musical merit, but rather for its placement on the album. A superbly serene, yet somehow dark, drift that sounds somewhat Radiohead like in its construction, The Sinking Belle features guest appearances by three members of The Sweet Hereafter on vocals, namely the cautious gasp of Jesse Sykes taking the lead. While this song is beautiful, I have to question how it fits here amongst the slow and thick drone. The first time I heard it, after being subjected to the first two tracks, I was pretty shocked to say the least. Perhaps placed at the end of the album, this song would have worked much better for me.

Back to the drone it goes, as Akuma No Kuma is the real gem on this album. A wide feedback layer starts off, before the addition of another guest appearance, this time by Joe Preston (Earth, High on Fire, The Melvins). Joe’s haunting vocoder-aided vocal is a fantastic addition, at times seeming to be nothing more than another ambient piece in the grand scheme of this track. The further additions of horn section and Atsuo’s timely drums give Akuma No Kuma an almost orchestral quality, though you surely won’t find this unique piece of drone being played at your local philharmonic any time soon.

The hypnotizing trance of Fried Eagle Mind follows. Devoid of the layered approach the rest of the album carries, this song stands on waves of synthesizers, the occasional guitar pluck, and the paranormal sounding gasp of Boris’ Wata. It truly sucks you in, to the point that I felt like I was being startled from an intense dream at the song’s conclusion.

Listening to the closer, Blood Swamp, is like waiting for an explosion that never happens. Featuring a guitar appearance by Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil, this near fifteen minute epic is a true test of a listener’s patience and easily the darkest track on this album. The sounds do just enough to ooze out, and they barely achieve even that pace. Slow, dark, and unsettling. It is a fine ending to the experiment that is Altar.

Besides The Sinking Belle, this album contains some of the finest drone I’ve heard in quite some time. Not only that, it’s enjoyable to read the roster of guest musicians, which are not all mentioned in this review, and try to pick out their contributions. Fans of either Sunn O))) or Boris will want to give this one a listen.


Note: This review, unfortunately, refers to the standard version of this album. There is a limited edition release with a second disc containing the track Her Lips Were Wet With Venom, with a guest appearance by Earth’s Dylan Carlson.