“Nothing Grows From Hallowed Ground” is the opening track of ALTAR OF OBLIVION’s fourth full-length, to be released later this year. A concept album based on the diary of guitarist Martin Meyer Sparvath’s maternal great-grandfather Jesper Wilhem Meyer, who reluctantly fought for the German Empire during The Great War (1914-1918). The album will pay homage to Jesper Wilhelm Meyer (1891-1964) plus the approximately 26.000 Danes, who fought for Germany and of which 4.000 perished on the different frontlines during the bloody conflict.
With Jesper’s colourful narration and picturesque description of the combat scenes, everyday life (and death) in the trenches, off-duty activities as well as his stays at a field hospital, the album begins with his baptism of fire in March of 1915 and culminates with an epic battle in June of 2015 lasting several days, in which he narrowly escapes death on more occasions.
“Hallowed Ground” in this context refers to No Man’s Land, which in this case is the area of land between two enemy trench systems, from which literally nothing grows. This muddy, narrow and often treeless stretch of land, characterized by various shell holes, became the final resting place for many fallen soldiers.
In late 2022, Altar Of Oblivion signed a deal with From the Vaults and released last year’s “Burning Memories”-EP serving as an appetizer for their upcoming fourth full-length. But NOTHING could foresee what was to come. “In The Cesspit Of Divine Decay”, the new album from the Danish epic doomsters, is a concept work based on the diary of guitarist Martin Meyer Sparvath’s maternal great-grandfather Jesper Wilhem Meyer, who reluctantly fought for the German Empire during The Great War (1914-1918).
Preparations for this aural endeavour began in 2005, when the band tracked a demo version of what years later would morph into the now completed album, which was originally supposed to be the debut full-length of the early duo incarnation of the band. This album contains some of the band’s first ever creations, and in many ways, it can be regarded as some sort of Altar Of Oblivion-prototype, bringing forth and spewing out their darkest and most traditional epic doom-work to date.
During and since the pandemic, Altar Of Oblivion have been in recording mode, finishing both new and old stuff, including two full-lengths, two EPs and an acoustic album, enabling the band to take a well-deserved studio-break in order to focus on live shows from now on. A number of gigs have been confirmed for 2024, and the collective is now looking forward to hitting the stage again, heavier, older and more invigorated than ever. Time will tell if playing live is the right cure for a severe case of discoloured studio tan.
The origins of Altar of Oblivion can be traced back to 2003, when Martin Meyer Sparvath (guitars/vocals) and Allan Larsen (drums) formed a duo called Summoning Sickness. Three years later, this doubtful project was transformed into a four-piece named Altar Of Oblivion, and the entity went from playing simple black/speed/heavy-metal to epic doom metal. The band has so far, apart from a number of demos, EPs and a live album, three full-lengths under its belt.
“In The Cesspit Of Divine Decay” will be released on LP (black vinyl) and digital formats on June 28th, 2024 via From The Vaults.
