Bitter Altar

“Bitter Altar”: A dark symphony of collaboration between “The Wright Valley Trio” and “Blackstaff” unveils a profound exploration of existence

December 19, 2023 marks the release date for the highly anticipated collaboration EP “Bitter Altar”, the haunting lyrical depth of “Wisdom,” “L@T,” and “Fireball” stand out as profound explorations of existence. The collaborative effort between “The Wright Valley Trio” and “Blackstaff” promises a sonic journey into the abyss, encompassing doom metal, funeral doom and sludge.

The Wright Valley Trio’s “L@T”: A Descent into Despair
”L@T,” presented by The Wright Valley Trio, offers a descent into the depths of despair. With lyrics exploring numbness, self-destruction, and the emptiness of existence, the song creates massive walls of sound that resonate with heavy riffs. The desolate landscapes depicted in the lyrics mirror the barrenness of one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, the Wright Valley in Antarctica.

Blackstaff’s “Fireball”: A Chilling Exploration of Horror and Destruction
”Fireball,” a chilling narrative presented by Blackstaff, reveals a story blackened by the flames of an inquisition. The lyrics echo a budding acceptance of the destructive nature of humanity, painting a vivid picture of the beauty found in all-consuming fire. With a powerful and atmospheric blend of blackened doom and aggressive heavy metal, “Fireball” immerses the listener in a world where destruction becomes a spectacle.

Blackstaff’s “Wisdom”: A Tale of Self-Acceptance and Transformation
”Wisdom,” as previously described, unfolds like a timeless fable. The track portrays the transformative ordeal of a character condemned and remade by dark magic, shunned by his former people and coming to accept and even treasure a life of solitude on the outside.

For inquiries, please contact:
wrightvalleytrio@gmail.com

Credits

Released on 19. Dezember 2023

L @ T by The Wright Valley Trio:
vD: Guitars, Vocals
Robert: Bass, Synth
Matze: Drums

Recorded between 09/09/21 and 18/09/2021
@ Ironbar Studios by Lorenz Blümler
Vocals and synthesizers recorded 01/2023 by Robert Krause
Mixed by Lorenz Blümler, vD and Robert Krause
Mastered by Lorenz Blümler

Fireball and Wisdom by Blackstaff:
Written/Performed by Dustin Cleary
Mixed by Todd Purnick
Mastered by Derek Mattin
Recorded at Blackstaff Studio in Cle Elum, WA, USA
Check out more Blackstaff records: blackstaff.bandcamp.com

Artwork by Roberto Mulliri
viicrch@gmail.com
IG: @Settimocerchio

Layout: Matze

Songs

L @ T

Stumpf und Elend
Messer
zum Frühstück
Karikatur
Deiner Selbst

Blinde Wut
Selbstzerstörung
Lebender
Toter

Am Ertrinken
Tiefer Sog
Die Wolken
Sind scharfkantig

Am Ziel angelangt
Die Sterne verfehlt
Aus dem Müll gelebt
Die Sterne verfehlt

Die Augen
Geöffnet
Dennoch Blind
Gib mir
Deine Hand
ins Leere
gegriffen

Nichts bleibt
ausgelöscht
ein Echo
eine Spur
wo einst
ein Mensch
gewesen war

Fireball by Blackstaff

With the eyes of one in horror
I first saw fire kill
The scent of bodies broiled
By my father’s will
And screams of the dying
Like iron gall did make
a black mark in my mind
which read:
„The human way is to burn“

Burn

If the old man was still living
I’d tell him he was right
The beauty of the flames
Oh, how they paint the night
The fire must be bigger
to fix the damage done
I watch the fingers dancing
And smell the wretched scum
as they burn

Burn

Wisdom by Blackstaff

Once upon an age
Bound, impure
All the lies were set aflame
Denied the cure

I was fitted with exile
For crime of a curse
Remade by the fangs of the beast
The shining light
Of the gods of men
would not warm me
for I was damned
Beaten and bloodied
And mad with the thirst
I fled from the city in shame
Covered in spit
And harried by guilt

I fed on vermin
Forgot my name
There at the foot
of the snow capped mountains
Wreathed in a freezing fog
Eyes in the dark
I prayed to be killed
As I ate dead meat like a dog
Haunted by memories
Of home as I climbed
Feeling the ice on my skin
The stones pierced me
My fingers bled,
but the flesh was mended

by the beast within
All the lies of man
Bare before my eyes
We drink the world
Like a parasite
A cloak of virtue
Is where we hide
To cut the throat of the sacrifice
There, at the peak
Long-forgotten shrine
Where spoke a voice
like the mountainside
Like shifting stones
„I am the killing change
the heaving erth
There is a scar with every birth
Fear not the end, it is the way
Mountains are forged
from tortured clay“
Embrace the change
Fear not the end
The wolf awaits beneath the skin
Destroy yourself,
it is the start
And carve the truth into your heart