Of Virtue – Death Of The Altar (Album Review)
Updated: Oct 4
Release date: 2 October 2026
Record label: Arising Empire
The Riff Doctor's Score: (8.5/10)
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Diagnosis
Of Virtue bring the weight, the hooks and the human vulnerability together on a record that makes their next step feel entirely earned.
Best tracks: “The End”, “Enemy State”, “Flatline”
Deep cut: “Devotion”
The Full Review
More than a decade into their career, Michigan's Of Virtue have become a steadily evolving force in modern metalcore. Their 2019 album What Defines You brought their balance of heaviness and melody into sharper focus, while 2023's Omen pushed them to a wider audience. According to their label, that record has since passed 65 million streams.
After a summer co-headlining The Art Of Love And Power Tour across the US with Savage Hands, the band are preparing to join Unprocessed in Europe and the UK. Into that busy stretch comes Death Of The Altar, a record that builds on the reach of Omen without losing sight of the feelings underneath the noise.
"Death of the Altar" opens with direct riffs, electronics and melodic vocals that hold the tension until the chorus finally lets it go. “Divinity” keeps the momentum up, with Tyler Ennis's clean voice and Damon Tate's harsher vocals working particularly well against each other.
“The End”, one of the album's early singles, turns apocalyptic anxiety into something you could almost celebrate at the end of the world. Its chorus is made to be shouted back from a crowd, while the heavier passages hit with real force. “Enemy State” then strips back some of the melody. Sharp guitars and an aggressive drum sound drive it forward, giving Tate's harsher delivery more room to take over.
The pace eases on “What's It Like To Be Happy?”, a more introspective song concerned with mental health and the search for a little peace. “Too Late” begins on a gentler note before a well-placed breakdown brings the band's heavier side back into view. It already sounds like one that could grow in the live set.
“Welcome To Hell” takes a darker turn, its weighty guitars and touches of synth creating a suitably oppressive atmosphere. “The Art Of Love” finds a better balance between intensity and sensitivity, helped by a tightly placed riff and another strong exchange between Ennis and Tate.
“Flatline” is among the album's most frantic moments. Accelerated rhythms, desperate screams and addictive guitar lines push towards a melodic chorus with an immediate hook. “Devotion” offers a different kind of high point: Ennis's voice takes the lead over an enveloping electronic backdrop, making it one of the record's most affecting songs.
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Finally, “Can't Keep Knockin Me Down” releases some of the pressure that has built up across the album. Its energetic riffs and big melodic chorus send things out on a defiant note, with plenty for a room full of fans to sing along to.
Death Of The Altar confirms the form Of Virtue found on Omen while giving both sides of their sound space to breathe. The heavy moments land, the choruses stick, and the more vulnerable passages give the record its lasting weight. For a band heading straight back out on the road, these songs sound ready for the stage.
Jaime Gomez for The Riff Collective
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