Of Virtue
Death Of The Altar
Arising Empire
A lesson for some: music comprises three key components in melody, harmony and rhythm, among others. Metal, let’s be honest, usually sacrifices the former for focus on the latter and levels of intensity, but who says you have to? This is where Of Virtue, getting closer to twenty years as a band, step in, with their fifth album in ‘Death Of The Altar’. Needless to say, one of Of Virtue’s, well, virtues is their knack for melody and creating catchy hooks, and ‘Death Of The Altar’ is absolutely littered with them. A particularly good example early on is “The End”, with its vocoder-laden intro and rising verse vocal pattern that tweaks the ear just right. Similarly, the meaty riffs and vocoder-vocals keep “Welcome To Hell” toeing the line between melodic and heavy neatly, whilst the spirited “fight for my life” refrain in “Flatline” sounds absolutely rousing and ready for the live environment. While there may be plenty of catchy choruses throughout, and hooks galore, the record still retains some heft throughout. The breakdown during “Divinity” hits hard, with the high guitar scrapes slicing like a knife, with “Flatline” offering similar vibes and ensuring a little mosh will occur wherever you may be. Yet it’s not just the music, as the band’s mental health advocacy shines through on the powerful “What’s It Like To Be Happy?” and the upbeat-sounding “Can’t Keep Knockin’ Me Down”. Of the latter, the line “fake it ‘til you make it” offers a particularly clear example of the band’s sense of positivity they endeavoured to weave through the record. While “Death Of The Altar” is not going to win originality points at this stage, it does showcase Of Virtue honing their melodicism, intensity and songwriting to a fine point. The riffs are chunky, the vocals impassioned with melody for days, and the songs both modern and memorable long after they’ve come to an end. If you want to marvel at some well-written melodic metalcore, then Of Virtue’s fifth full-length offering would not go amiss.
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Review by Lee Carter