ALTARETH have penned a deal with Magnetic Eye Records, becoming the label’s first signing of 2020 (but not its last). The heavily buzzing doom-mongers from Gothenburg, Sweden will release their debut album on the label in 2021.
ALTARETH comment: “For doom fanatics such as ourselves, it’s a monumental victory to be supported by Magnetic Eye Records,” says vocalist Paddy Strömberg. “We are signing up to a quality label that has been pioneering this kind of music for a long time and put out some of the best albums in the genre.”
Niklas Sörum continues: “We’re also very pleased to announce our upcoming debut full-length”, reveals one of the band’s two guitarists. “It will come with 7 new songs that take our brand of Swedish doom to the next level!”
Label Director Jadd Shickler bids the Swedes welcome: “With our first official signing of this strange and chaotic year, we’re stoked to present a band who embodies the evolutionary synergy of DOMKRAFT’s towering, apocalyptic tones and ELEPHANT TREE’s warm, infectiously singable harmonies. We knew from the moment we first heard ALTARETH that their future-looking take on epic, fuzzy doom belonged on Magnetic Eye, and we can’t wait to bring forth their official debut album next year.”
Formed in early 2013, ALTARETH are a doom infused five-piece from the Swedish harbour city of Gothenburg. Their sound is heavy, sludgy and melodic, based on fuzzed-out twin-guitars and a solid foundation of quality songs with careful attention paid to arrangements and harmonies.
ALTARETH take influences from a wide range of contemporary bands such as UNCLE ACID, SLEEP, ELECTRIC WIZARD, WINDHAND, and PALLBEARER, but also from canonical outfits like ST. VITUS, PENTAGRAM, BLACK SABBATH, and their compatriots CANDLEMASS. Swedish metal has clearly left a dark mark, as ALTARETH also quote BATHORY, OPETH, and MARDUK as sources of inspiration. Apart from the obvious, the Swedes listen to a wide range of bands including CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, RADIOHEAD, KING CRIMSON, NEIL YOUNG, and GUNS N’ ROSES, among many others.
Driven by such eclectic tastes, guitarist Niklas Sörum set out to find like minds with whom to create a filthy and massive yet melodic outfit that could energize the scene with much needed fuzzed-out quality down-tuned songs. When he finally found Mats, Sven, Paddy, and Vigfus, ALTARETH were born. Get ready to be served some of the coolest new doom sounds to emerge in recent years. To be continued …
