It has been almost a year if I am not mistaken since I reviewed this band's debut album Deep Dark Seasons. I remember it had made a fairly good impression on me and I admit I was looking forward to the second PESTIFEROUS studio album. I have to say that while I am writing this intro, I haven't listened to Gateway at all! By the time I will be writing the main review part, I will have listened to it enough times, so as to have a complete view on the album.

Since I have already reviewed their debut album, I think that it is not necessary to start mentioning stuff like when they were formed. I will just say that I tried to visit their official website but it is no more available. I just wanted to see when and how T. Oikari (the band's ex-bassist as it seems) left the band. Saarenketo recorded some additional bass on Deep Dark Seasons, too, but now I can't find whether he recorded all the bass parts himself or someone else recorded the bass (like Oikari or someone from the remaining members).

We all know that a band's second album is one of the most important times because the band has to prove whether it can stay around and also deliver a more than decent album to the fans. PESTIFEROUS were able to create a pretty nice debut album and I have to say that their second album is just as good. No magnificent and groundbreaking Black Metal compositions, no experimentations, just pure suicidal Black Metal. The only non-Black Metal thing you will find in Gateway are the Thrash Metal touches here and there, an element that made their debut interesting to me and they seem to have kept it. The old school fans know what I mean. The newer fans just have to think of the darkthronish Black/Punk/Thrash style to get the point. If you have ready my review on Deep Dark Seasons you will already have understood that not many things have changed in their second full-length release. Only two things have changed. The one thing that has changed is the only negative thing I can mention right now. The vocals are just not as raw as they were in the first album, they lack of this cold feeling. The second thing that has changed is the sound. PESTIFEROUS managed to achieve a better production, much clearer than the first album's, but also keep the underground raw sound.

All in all, Gateway is a good Black Metal album that even though it can't be characterized as one of the best releases, it proves that the underground is still alive and it can produce pretty good bands. Fans of old school Black Metal should definitely have a taste of this album.