Altar (album) explained

Altar
Type:Album
Artist:Sunn O))) and Boris
Cover:SunnBoris-2006-Altar.jpg
Released:October 31, 2006
Recorded:2006
Genre:Drone metal, experimental
Length:53:42
81:56 (with Disc Two)
Label:Southern Lord
Inoxia Records
Daymare Records
Producer:Sunn O)))
Chronology:Sunn O)))
Prev Title:Black One
Prev Year:2005
Next Title:Oracle
Next Year:2007

Altar is a collaborative album by Japanese experimental music group Boris and American drone metal band Sunn O))), released on October 31, 2006 through Southern Lord Records (SUNN62). A limited two-CD edition was released on October 23 via Southern Lord with a 28-minute bonus track with Sunn O))), Boris, and Dylan Carlson, titled "Her Lips Were Wet with Venom". Inoxia Records released their own two-CD version in 2006 which features a bonus track on the first disc, "The Sinking Belle (Black Sheep)", and also features "Her Lips Were Wet with Venom" on disc 2. The triple-vinyl edition by Southern Lord contains all of the songs from their two-CD edition, additional pictures, and liner notes by Kim Thayil. The Daymare 3LP version was released March 23, 2007 and features a bonus track not found on any other version of this release: "The Sinking Belle (White Sheep)".

In addition to major players Sunn O))) and Boris, Altar also boasts an extensive roster of guest musicians/collaborators such as Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Joe Preston (Earth, Thrones, Melvins, High on Fire), Phil Wandscher, Jesse Sykes, and Bill Herzog (of Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter) as well as long time Sunn O))) collaborators TOS Niewenhuizen and Rex Ritter.

On December 10, 2007, the bands collaborated at the Forum in London along with a number of the guests featured on Altar for a live performance.[1] A 3LP picture disc version of the album, limited to 500 copies, was sold exclusively at this London show.[2]

Track listing

Disc One

  1. "Etna" – 9:51
  2. "N.L.T." – 3:49
  3. "The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep)" – 7:37
  4. "Akuma no Kuma" – 7:52
  5. "Fried Eagle Mind" – 9:47
  6. "The Sinking Belle (Black Sheep)" - 5:05 (Japanese CD bonus track)
  7. "The Sinking Belle (White Sheep)" - 4:36 (Japanese 3LP bonus track)
  8. "Blood Swamp" – 14:46

Disc Two

  1. "Her Lips Were Wet With Venom" – 28:14

Personnel

Sunn O))) & Boris

Additional musicians

Technical

Pressing history

YearLabelFormatCountryOut of Print?Notes
2006Southern LordCDU.S.No
2006Southern Lord2CDU.S.YesLtd. 5000. Includes bonus track "Her Lips Were Wet with Venom"
2006Inoxia Records2CDJapanYesLtd. 1000. Includes bonus tracks "The Sinking Belle (Black Sheep)" and "Her Lips Were Wet with Venom"
2006Southern Lord3LPU.S.YesLtd. 10,600. Includes bonus track, "Her Lips Were Wet with Venom"
2007Inoxia Records3LPJapanYesLtd. 1000. Includes bonus tracks "The Sinking Belle (White Sheep)" and "Her Lips Were Wet with Venom"
2007Southern Lord3LP Pic DiscU.S.YesLtd 500. Originally sold at London performance on December 10, 2007

See also

References

  1. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/44415-boris-record-a-ton-do-ialtari-onstage-with-sunn-o Pitchfork Media
  2. http://blog.southernlord.com/?p=109 Southern Lord Records » sunn O))), Boris, Earth **ALTAR** performance London, Forum 12/10/2007