EREB ALTOR - Blot-Ilt-Taut LP (Red Vinyl)

Bathory-Tribute Album with 7 Coverversions from different albums
Limited second pressing of 500 numbered copies (printed numbered sticker on sealing) on blood-red 180g Vinyl.

So finally, after thirteen years of existence, Ereb Altor unleash a tribute to their main inspiration, titled Blot · Ilt · Taut, that features seven covers of classic Bathory tracks.

So in a nutshell, Blot · Ilt · Taut is a Bathory cover album. There is no original Ereb Altor material here, so if that's what you were looking for, move along. Ereb Altor has always been likened to the epic, Viking era of Bathory; Hammerheart, Twilight of the Gods, Blood Fire Death, etc, so it's extremely interesting to see the wide swath of Bathory's career being covered by these guys. It's not just the grandiose and sprawling Viking songs here, though most of this tribute covers that, but a few gems from Bathory's earlier years are given their due; specifically “The Return...” and “Woman of Dark Desires”.

If nothing else, Blot · Ilt · Taut proves that Ereb Altor can cover Bathory with the best of them. Honestly, I haven't heard many bands do Quorthon justice quite the way that Ereb Altor does here, with Macabre Omen as an exception. Everything from the flowing synths to the choral styled vocals to the melodic, yet heavy handed riffing style is present and accounted for. The band's versions of “A Fine Day to Day” and “Blood Fire Death” are just spot on, giving the classic tracks a thick, modern production without losing any of the frigid intensity of the originals. While they did delve into two early tracks, the injected the later period, epic march into the songs, giving an interesting, distinctive take on the classics.

While none of these songs are new, it's really cool to hear Ereb Altor cover some of Bathory's greatest tracks with aplomb. From the Viking-tinged reworkings of material from Under the Sign of the Black Mark and The Return... to stellar renditions of Quorthon's peak of Viking metal, Ereb Altor proves that while Bathory is a huge influence, they can play the music with the best of them. This is one of those odd releases that may not garner much attention aside from the devout worshipers of Bathory and Ereb Altor, but it's a really awesome release nonetheless.