As 2011 dawns, the blood, sweat, and raw power that Altar of Plagues have summoned over a short few years has coalesced into their most intense, honest, and mature offering yet. Since the band's inception in 2006 as a primal manifestation of J. Kelly's musical vision, this Irish collective have grown into an international force. Successful tours of the European and North American continents with the likes of Mayhem, Isis, and Year of No Light spread their message to a willing audience, and in 2010 their life-changing dual performances upon Roadburn's hallowed stage cemented their status as one of the most vital up-and-coming bands in the global metal scene. Now, with the release of their second full-length and Candlelight UK debut, Altar of Plagues have truly arrived.

"Mammal" is a sprawling epic of blackened progression and expansive melodic exploration, drenched in a sombre, haunting atmosphere that builds upon field recordings, home-made percussion, and the band's own fragile humanity. It pushes the metal genre into new sonic territories without treading on tried and tested ground, yet embraces its bloody roots. "Mammal" is a natural development of the uniquely engaging sound developed on 2009's "White Tomb," and reveals the band at their darkest and most honest.

The intricacies and intent of "Mammal" reveal themselves more with each listen, and make it clear that Altar of Plagues have grown into one of dark metal's elite. As a collaborative release by underground giants Candlelight UK and Profound Lore, the album is a high water mark on the band's already impressive career, and is a fitting beginning to the next chapter in their enlightened saga.

Hailing from the small town of Plaistow, New Hampshire, VATTNET VISKAR is anything but small. Formed in the fall of 2010, the band has quickly risen amongst the ranks of US black metal acts.

VATTNET VISKAR's brooding take on blackened atmospheric doom metal perfectly mirrors their organic approach to their craft. Following a well received two-song demo in 2011, they have released a self-titled EP, available at their Bandcamp page, that has been met with praise from both fans and the press alike. "On their debut EP...they had me hooked in a matter of seconds and salivating by the end of its 27 minutes. It's an assured offering for such a young band," lauds Brandon Stosuy of Pitchfork.com.

Not content to keep their blackened-doom alchemy confined to the studio, however, they back it up with a thundering live performance. Having already shared the stage with such titans as BLACK ANVIL, INQUISITION and WOODS OF YPRES, they have left their mark up and down the east coast with a seemingly endless string of shows-- and soon, VATTNET VISKAR's name will spread across the rest of the country.