Altar of Plagues’ White Tomb is a black metal maelstrom laced with lyrics that delve into a world in the midst of annihilation. Desolate stretches of brooding soundscapes introduce the 12-minute barrage of cacophony “Earth: As a Womb (Part 1).” Toward the seven-minute mark, the song downshifts to mirror bygone post-rock, with chiming guitars building alongside a pulsing mantra of punishing rhythms. The following “Earth: As a Furnace” resonates with more ambient black metal, somewhat similar to recordings by Wolves in the Throne Room (save for a throat-wrenching vocal performance and some incredibly thunderous drumming). “Through the Collapse: Watchers Restrained” is a relentless whirlpool of bedlam, dense with incessant musical attack. Closing the album with a darkened beauty, “Gentian Truth” brings in more melodic guitars and ambient textures.