Over the course of the past few weeks, we have premiered the tracks "Voices of Winter" and "Desolation" from Prairie Blackened Doom Metallers Altars of Grief's upcoming new album "Iris."
Today, we present to you - in partnership with
Toilet Ov Hell - the third and last song premiere from the album before the official release on March 21. The new track, available to stream now, is entitled "Broken Hymn" and is yet another example of the band's ability to craft emotionally wrenching and powerful songs. Moving at a slower pace than the previously released "Voices of Winter" and "Desolation", "Broken Hymn" also prominently features the string arrangements of acclaimed cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne - known for his work on projects such as "The Visit", "Musk Ox" and "Woods of Ypres' final album "Grey Skies and Electric Light".
Vocalist Damian Smith comments:
"Of all the tracks written for Iris, Broken Hymns is perhaps one of the most personal to me. We were working on this track at our jam space in November 2016, when I received a phone call saying that my grandmother had been taken to the hospital and was not expected to make it through the night. I finished up and drove two hours to the hospital and met there with my family.
My grandmother had struggled with cancer for many years, but this time she was terminal. We all knew that her health was declining, but to see what the cancer had reduced this woman who was still so vibrant in my memory was very difficult.
I don't know whether she even knew we were there with her, but we spent the next few hours in that room just spending whatever time we could together. As we were getting ready to leave, I said goodbye to my grandmother for the last time and within moments she was gone.
I wrote the lyrics for the entire middle section of Broken Hymns in a parking lot the next morning.
Thematically and musically, this is one of the darker tracks on the record. At one point, it was actually almost scrapped, but thankfully we decided to keep working on it."
From the Toilet Ov Hell article:
"It’s easy to forget in our endless quest for ever more challenging and brutal sounds how absolutely profound the weight of emotion can be. On “Broken Hymn,” Altars of Grief remind us that there is no sound heavier than that of our own sorrow, and no art more powerful than that which stirs a yearning in our very souls. This track alone sets Altars of Grief on the lofty pedestal occupied by the likes of Woods of Ypres, My Dying Bride, and Bereft where metal fully embraces a deeper spectrum of existence beyond hate and anger, and I honestly can’t wait for you to hear the rest of the album."
Iris tracklist:
1. Isolation (9:22)
2. Desolation (6:27)
3. Iris (6:19)
4. Broken Hymns (8:10)
5. Child of Light (6:59)
6. Voices of Winter (7:28)
7. Becoming Intangible (9:24)
8. Epilogue (2:06)
Total length: 55:59
Adjust the light. Fall into Iris. Follow the Canadian juggernaut into a new level of doom and despair.
Pre-order packages for "Iris" - including new shirts and patches - are available now on the
Hypnotic Dirge Webshop.
