The band's untraditional aesthetic and approach to their music has led to Altar of Plagues appealing to a wide variety of listeners and this may be seen by the diverse range of acts Altar of Plagues have toured with, including Isis and Mayhem, as well as having appeared at festivals that focus on extreme metal and festivals that encourage experimentation and diversity.
In June 2013, the band announced via Facebook that they were splitting up and their final live performance would be at the Unsound Festival in Poland in October.
Members:
James Kelly - guitars, synthesizers, vocals;
Dave Condon - bass guitar, vocals;
Johnny King - drums.
http://www.altarofplagues.com
God Alone
Altar of Plagues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stones let me go, (but) to make a difference their names are kept,
expecting half with nothing to find.
Like a lighthouse, a wild nothing moved to an empty place
tended embers of life fires, envelop, something wide and moral.
It takes and leaves, flicker, heavy, growing, leeched.
The son will rise.
The son has died.
The lyrics of God Alone by Altar of Plagues can be interpreted in a number of ways, but one interesting perspective is that they seem to be questioning the value of human existence - who was born here and danced with infancy, only to be forgotten by the stones? The idea that our lives may be insignificant in the grand scheme of things is further explored with the line "expecting half with nothing to find", suggesting that we are always searching for something that may not exist.
However, amidst this existential crisis, there is also a glimmer of hope. The reference to a lighthouse, which is traditionally associated with guiding ships through treacherous waters, suggests that there is a way forward even in difficult times. The "tended embers of life fires" may represent the things that keep us going, such as family, friends, and passions. These are the things that "envelop" us and provide us with a sense of purpose.
The final lines of the song, "it takes and leaves, flicker, heavy, growing, leeched / the son will rise / the son has died", can be read in a number of ways. One interpretation is that they represent the cyclical nature of life, in which everything eventually comes to an end only to begin again. The reference to the "son" rising and dying may also be a reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, suggesting that even in the dark times there is the possibility of redemption and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Who was born here and danced with infancy?
Who originated from this place and experienced its early stages?
The stones let me go, (but) to make a difference their names are kept,
The rocks have released me but still serve a significant purpose by preserving their names.
expecting half with nothing to find.
Anticipating to retrieve a portion of something, but ultimately finding nothing.
Like a lighthouse, a wild nothing moved to an empty place
Similar to a beacon, something undefined moved to a vacant location.
tended embers of life fires, envelop, something wide and moral.
Taking care of the remaining sparks of life, all-encompassing, something with broad and ethical significance.
It takes and leaves, flicker, heavy, growing, leeched.
It acquires and departs, fluctuating, burdensome, expanding, exploited.
The son will rise.
The child of a parent will emerge and ascend.
The son has died.
The offspring of a predecessor has perished.
Contributed by Kaitlyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@luervo
There is nothing like this nowadays. Many amazing bands, but nothing like AOP. I really miss this band so much.
@MoosicDude
I need them back. I saw one of their last performances at Damnation Festival and it was probably the most intense thing I've ever seen.
@MrMaxlines
Try White Ward. They released excellent Love Exchange Failure album back in 2019.
@Gguy061
Black metal needs more bands like this that push the boundaries instead of being clones of Darkthrone circa 94'
@Bojoschannel
But then you will get a bunch of "metalheads" screaming and whining about this not being "trve".
@50s100w
Bojoschannel I'm actually one of those. I think this kind of music is interesting, but nothing more than just interesting. It just cant give the kicks that older, raw black metal used to give
@Abarataphoto
Well this just sounds like contemporary jazz, noisy and pointless, while Darkthrone circa 94' you could feel (hear) a purpose, you could understand a message even without reading the lyrics... That's the main reason this style tends to suck unfortunately
@Gguy061
This sounds nothing like contemporary Jazz. The chord progressions Jazz uses is much more complex than anything used in this song. There's no element of improvisation anywhere either. I can hear plenty of purpose in this song. The opening riff is repeated until it is interrupted by a weird drum fill that echos some of the rhythmic idea in the opening riff. Then the riff functions as an ostinato as melodic tension builds to the end of the piece. If this song doesn't offer much in the sense of purpose, then Transilvanian Hunger doesn't have much to offer either. In fact, that's part of the point of the music. Transilvanian Hunger had 5 minute songs built on two riffs. In fact, Darkthrone has some songs that are only built on as little as one riff. Minimalism has its purposes. It can be hypnotic, such as the opening riff to As flitermice as satan spies, which is repeated ad nauseum. What seems pointless at first may have a purpose you don't fully grasp. Being abstract and imperceptible in itself doesn't qualify something as bad, but it doesn't qualify something as good either. It just is. Understanding anything is going to take some mental effort.
@isaacrayworth7497
Willa bema>Great riffs
>darkthrone riffs
@kurtpeterson9881
This video got me into ballet.