Since its inception in the Winter months of 2013, Saskatchewan's Altars of Grief grew to become one of the most dominant doom metal bands from the Canadian Prairies. In its first five years, it played numerous festival and toured Western Canada on several occasions, developing a bold scenic presence and memorable visual identity. Along with its symphonic signature sound, the band is also known for weaving soaring choral arrangements with powerful, driving death metal; morose, gothic doom and uptempo black metal.

After self-releasing its first full-length album This Shameful Burden in 2014, Altars of Grief joined forces with symphonic black metal entity Nachtterror to release the split album Of Ash and Dying Light in 2015 on Hypnotic Dirge Records. In 2018, the melancholic blackened doom juggernaut returns with Iris, a new full length album of devastating proportions. Introducing new levels of dynamics, along with more layers and textures to its songwriting, Iris is the frail beam of light coming through an ominous black sky, the beautiful yet desolate cry before a tragedy. Containing equal appeal and oppression in its aesthetic, this new album will raise the bar for Canadian Doom-Death.