THE BEAST

In their endless quest to push and support current underground acts that perpetuate the odor of vintage death metal, on January 25th, 2021, Memento Mori is proud to present Altered Dead's highly anticipated second album, Returned to Life.

With beginnings in 2011, Canada's Altered Dead are a two-piece contributing to the tradition of early death metal with a simple and therefore genuine approach: no frills, filthy, and raw, proudly influenced by the likes of Autopsy, Death Breath, Grave, Asphyx, Darkthrone, Unleashed, Exhumed, and Carnage. Released in 2016, Altered Dead's debut album, simply self-titled, was a cornucopia of darkness and utter DEATH. Twisted 'n' gross riffs ripped alongside warring treads of percussion, with the accompaniment of scalded and bellowing dual vocals mangling the listener's mind. Similarly, lyrical themes revolved around physical and mental warfare, mutating human nature, and imminent conflict and collapse. Currently residing in Esquimalt, on southern Vancouver Island, the duo have had numerous live performances and subsequently started work on their long-awaited second full-length.

At last it arrives, bearing the ever-fitting title Returned to Life. Be forewarned, though, as there's no "life metal" here - only utter DEATH, once again, and darkness eternal, of course. The strikingly sick 'n' psychedelic cover art by Matt Sidney should give some clues as to where Altered Dead are coming from here: tendrils of slimy 'n' viscous riffage rising from the muck to ensnare martial mid-tempo gallops and frequent detours into doomed-out despair. The sum effect is infinitely headbanging as it is scabrously sewer-dredging, but rest assured that Altered Dead place a premium on stridently classic songwriting as their aforementioned forebears did at the dawn of the '90s: HOOKS, line, and sinking...into the primordial abyss! Thus, Returned to Life is both backwards-looking as well as inward-looking - as in inward into that very same abyss. And, it also bears re-emphasizing that Altered Dead are a duo; however, for only two people, the band create a world-eating sound far larger than their pared-down membership may convey on paper. Credit due to Loïc Fontaine for his clear 'n' crushing mastering job at Krucyator Studio, France.

Closing with a faithful cover of Celtic Frost's "Into the Crypts of Rays," Altered Dead deliver traditional death metal perfection with Returned to Life.

Hear the first sounds of that perfection with the brand-new title track "Returned to Life" HERE at Memento Mori's official YouTube channel. Aforementioned cover art and tracklisting are as follows: