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THE GATES OF SLUMBER “The Gates of Slumber”
THE GATES OF SLUMBER “The Gates of Slumber”
By Colonel Angus
Indiana’s very own doom metalers THE GATES OF SLUMBER are back with a brand new full length studio offering. It has been thirteen years since we saw anything from them and quite frankly, “The Wretch” was not their best work. Like power metal, there are only a few bands that really hit the mark when it comes to doom metal and THE GATES OF SLUMBER’s early recording were some of the genre’s best work. Starting off in the early 2000s, the band built up a solid catalogue of material but after the death of bassist Jason McCash. founder and mainstay Karl Simon called it quits. It took multiple request from the Hell Over Hamburg festival organizers to put the wheels in motion to get the band to start up again. Fast forward to this post-Covid world and THE GATES OF SLUMBER unleash six new tracks.
Judging by their older disks, this self-titled affair is shorter, clocking in at just shy of 36 minutes. But what a short slab of doom metal it is. The disk starts off with a drum roll that ushers in a dirge-like plodding cut that harkens back to the best of BLACK SABBATH (the original doom metalers) especially their early albums. There is a certain elegance in the simplicity of the riffing and tempo. Each instrument is given plenty of room to breathe and while it has that great distorted doom metal sound, it still maintains a production that steers away from being just a wall of sound.
On “We are Perdition”, they switch things up with a bass intro but still continuing with the same early 70s doom sound. This tune has some moody passages during the verses which give it an ominous feel. While Simon wouldn’t be my pick for most talented metal singer, he is the right vocalist for this type of metal. His performance is full of emotion and drama and it adds to each of the track on this record.
There is this wonderful swagger to the beginning of “Full Moon Fever” that later turns into a riff heavy rocker with a nice guitar solo courtesy of Simon. His playing throughout, whether just riffing or soloing, makes each of the tracks uniquely special. They even throw in some sound effects that sound like someone turning into a werewolf. Just those little bits give additional drama to an already dramatic performance by the band.
Things take a little step towards a faster tempo with “At Dawn” and there are parts of Simon’s vocal performance that remind me of early OZZY. Not so much in the sound but in the style and cadence that he sings the lyrics. Being the shortest track on this self-titled opus (it is just over four minutes), it goes by really quick and its over before you know it. The aptly titled “The Fog” inspired by the John Carpenter film of the same name flows in like a menacing fog with some great guitar work both in riff and solos. The song takes a little time before it really gets going but once it does, it is a glorious doom metal piece and as I write this, it is my favorite on the album.
The release closes with another doom metal workout but on “The Plague”, they take the seven plus minutes to deliver multiple sections to add addition interest. There are some slower plodding parts and then in the middle, we get a fast (the fastest on the record) section that really breaks up the track nicely. In my mind, they left the best for last as these two tracks that cap of the record are the stars of the release.
I mentioned earlier that not all doom metal is good but when it is, it is glorious. THE GATES OF SLUMBERr record should be a blueprint for other doom metal bands to witness how it can be done correctly. Although some might complain that this self-titled disk is short, clocking it at just under 36 minutes, I feel that it is the perfect length. Adding more of the same would not have enhanced the record and ultimately made for a less enjoyable listening experience.
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