AMPWALL
Hypnotic Dirge Records
Artwork image
Artwork by
Travis Smith

Iris

Altars of Grief

Released by Hypnotic Dirge Records
March 21st, 2018
8 tracks
55:55
Iris
Iris
Isolation
0:00
9:19
1
Isolation
Altars of Grief
Left alone With what I have become Close my eyes Kingdoms fall around me Crowned with scorn A heavy cross to bear Turn away I was never strong enough To face what I left behind Seeking comfort in anything That could distract my troubled mind The snow fell once again Guiding my journey’s end In solitude and twisted steel Haunted by the grief that I still feel Against an endless horizon The fire seemed to burn forever Another day smoulders into night Alone, I travel on Finally at peace in frozen isolation Where nothing dwells, but the spirits of my past This decision would haunt my life In the silence where all light dies And as the seasons began to change Revealing all that winter claimed Beneath the frost, in endless sleep A lonesome death for all to see Preserving where my failures led me Against an endless horizon The fire seemed to burn forever Another day smoulders into night Alone, I travel on
9:19
2
Desolation
Altars of Grief
I opened my eyes To the night sky The unending storm Revealed itself before me Weightless in my resolve But, still a burden remains With this final breath “Please, forgive me” With every wasted prayer I’ve watched your body wither I’ve seen what you’ve become As you pushed me away Consumed by my pride I fled from your side And tried to understand Your faith in this wretched world That has condemned you The lights of home have faded Into desolation I gave you all that I had Your faith in this godless world Has lead you astray I opened my eyes To a sky in flames A cold wind lamenting Through the unending plains Within the frozen wreckage Is where I shall remain But, with this departure I’ll be with you once again I opened my eyes! I opened my eyes! I opened my eyes! I opened my eyes!
6:15
3
Iris
Altars of Grief
Here I stand, head in hands Questions unanswered Do you hear my words? This altar, veiled in dust So long I’ve poured my faith Still, you have failed her Or, am I just blind and powerless? Cursed with this need to escape my reality I fall to my knees as she appears Iris, stained with blood Fall (No life left in her eyes) Close your eyes (Nothing I could do) Nothing inside (How could you turn away?) Turn away (Embrace this) Embrace finality “My god! I’ll see the Heaven’s burn! I’ll never forgive you for this!” As her cries subside No sound broke the still Silence is all that remains Within these walls I now see clear I was always alone Am I just blind and powerless? Cursed with this need to escape my reality Forgotten, as I’ve forgotten you I’ll never let you take from me again
6:20
4
Child of Light
Altars of Grief
Crestfallen Two souls became one A vestige of serenity Grasping your cross Reaching out With your final breath A life departed Frozen and still In this silence, I know That you have found your peace The embrace of falling snow I brush the tears from your face I no longer remember When the world didn’t feel so cold I lift my arms for the sky And await this coming storm Empyreal flames Of my own creation I will wait forever For my salvation Before I surrender My faith unto you You who has taken Everything from me Winter descends Like ashes from the divine Breathe in the fire Let it swallow you whole Close your eyes I know I have failed you Child of light Go now, your heaven awaits Empyreal flames Of my own creation I will wait forever For my salvation Before I surrender My faith unto you You who has taken Everything
7:02
5
Broken Hymn
Altars of Grief
With every passing day I’ve endured my mistakes And cursed the failing light That is should forever fade I stand now in the ashes Of a world become a tomb Every thought, another grave Interred with memories of you Bury me in my agony Drown me underneath all that I’ve lost I’ve grown tired of the light Of holding on to ghosts And longing for lost days I’m faced with my failures When I close my eyes I’ll pray for all of this to end Lowered down Into the waiting Earth A veil of soil Concealing your pain One day I can only pray That time corrodes This memory of you Cast away From this grey world Into oblivion And constellations Take this Earth From beneath me “Iris!” “Please, come back to me!” “Come back to me!” I’ve grown tired of the light Of holding on to ghosts And, longing for lost days I’m faced with my failures When I close my eyes I’ll pray for all of this to end
8:11
6
Voices of Winter
Altars of Grief
Years have gone I hide behind a face That's not my own Can no one hear me? The night is long It mocks my weary faith I am alone My god, why have you gone? Voices of winter Beckon me forward Your words are ghosts That haunt the frozen air A fragile beacon that shines Through this bleak nightmare Restless hours In tranquil decay I wander the desolation Where only ashes remain This place once familiar Is now long forgotten Derelict arms reach out In desperation Buried alive In the graves I have made All that I know Is this reverie A vision of pale limbs Frozen forever Statuesque, as you A monument to failure This gathering darkness Shall never depart The misery of bereavement Consuming my thoughts This bitter season Becomes my prison Rending my heart All hope departs Buried alive In the graves I have made All that I know…
7:26
7
Becoming Intangible
Altars of Grief
Waiting for the end again The time has come to pass, my friend Waiting for this final judgement I’ve never felt this close to God I can barely see the sun I guess this path was truly flawed Judgement comes with revelation And, I’ve never felt so close to God Waiting for the end again Waiting for the end again Waiting for the end again Waiting for the end Waiting for the end again The time has come to pass, my friend Judgement comes with revelation I’ve never felt this close to God
9:17
8
Epilogue
Altars of Grief
2:05

Following the acclaimed Of Ash and Dying Light split album of 2015, Canadian Prairies doom metal juggernaut Altars of Grief is back with Iris, a second full length album of devastating proportions. This new blackened doom offering introduces new levels of dynamics and textures, and while it is the more accomplished work from the Saskatchewan band to date, it also carries the darkness and light personality that Altars of Grief developed since 2013. On Iris, melancholy and storytelling reaches new depths of beauty and sorrow. Containing equal appeal and oppression in its aesthetic, this new album will raise the bar for Canadian Doom-Death.

Altars of Grief's singer Damian Smith comments: "The story of Iris is very much rooted in our prairie surroundings and deals with the struggles of addiction, sickness and religion. A father finds himself unable to connect with and care for his young daughter, Iris, who has fallen seriously ill. Spiralling deeper and deeper into his vices, and feeling rejected by Iris’ new found and unwavering faith, he gets into his car and decides to leave her behind. Somewhere along the icy road, he loses control of his vehicle and perishes. His purgatory is to watch helplessly as Iris slowly succumbs to her illness without him."

Iris will feature the art of Travis Smith [Seempieces] (Katatonia, Opeth, Anathema). The cover artwork brilliantly depicts Iris’ final moments as she kneels before the winter beset church and embraces her fate.

For fans of Woods of Ypres, Adora Vivos, October Tide, and Swallow the Sun.

Those who stare at the dying light will fall into Iris. 

Credits

Damian Smith - Vocals, Lyrics
Erik Labossiere - Guitars, Vocals
Evan Paulson - Guitars, Vocals, Programming
Donny Pinay - Bass, Vocals
Zack Bellina - Drums, Vocals (on track five)

Cello on tracks 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 written and performed by Raphael Weinroth-Browne Track 8, “Epilogue” written and performed by Raphael Weinroth-Browne

Lyrics by Damian Smith (except for track 7, written by Erik Labossiere)
Music by Evan Paulson and Altars of Grief
Produced by Justin Bender & Altars of Grief

Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Justin Bender at Blue Door Recording & Retrosleep Studios in Regina, Saskatchewan

Cello recorded by Dean Watson at Gallery Recording Studios in Ottawa, Ontario

Artwork and Layout by Travis Smith (Seempieces)
[Katatonia, Opeth, Anathema]

Concept by Damian Smith and Erik Labossiere

Merch
ALTARS OF GRIEF - "Iris" CD [2018; 4 Panel Digipack]
ALTARS OF GRIEF - "Iris" CD [2018; 4 Panel Digipack]
CD

Merch

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