ALBUM REVIEW: The Gates of Slumber - The Gates of Slumber

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The Gates of Slumber

It’s fair to say there is more than a little excitement surrounding this release. The excitement revolves around the fact this band are capable of writing some of the heaviest riffs and music on the planet, and we all hoped this continues to be the case. 

This is the band’s first release since The Wretch in 2011. It’s a powerful drum beat that leads into the doomy riff of the first track, Embrace the Lie. The riff shines and eases any worries, it’s a monstrously heavy tune. Slow, menacing and powerful. The baseline on the second track paints a solid path for the riffs to travel and when the main riff of We Are Perdition kicks in, the listener's head is compelled to bob along in time. This music is heavy and surrounded in heft and atmosphere. 

The chunky tunes roll along until a soaring guitar solo ride over the doom, leaving a joyful feeling. These Indiana doom merchants are living up to their legend moniker, a term well-deserved. Since The Gates of Slumber one man conception in 1998, the band have been carving out a substantial reputation. This album will only serve to bolster this prestige. The riffs on this album hold a certain amount of bounce as well as the requisite density. 

The Gates of Slumber

Tracks such as Full Moon Fever and At Dawn display this intoxicating trait perfectly. The songs are heavy, revolving around the correct metal subject matter. The Fog slows matters down a little, all the while keeping the doom element intact. The guitar solo seems to widdle like a Van Halen solo while keeping the doom component alive. Finishing the album, The Plague continues with the slow sludge tempo. It’s heavy and slow until the pace picks up, with the drums taking the lead. It’s still doom, and it’s still bloody heavy. This is a very enticing doom metal album from a band very involved in the concept of this genre, cementing the use of the word legends in their description.


The Gates of Slumber is released on 29th November via Svart Records
Review by Neil 'Thrashtash' Bolton

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