The fascination for older albums of BLACK SABBATH caused an aftershock after their time on USA, because acts as SAINT VITUS, CIRITH UNGOL, PENTAGRAM, TROUBLE and THE OBSESSED took those bitter elements and funereal slow rhythms to extremes and unleashed Doom Metal with WITCHFINDER GENERAL and PAGAN ALTAR doing the same on the other side of the Atlantic Sea. And Doom Metal evolved as a Metal genre on its own, but there are many that prefers to stay on the old models, as the North American trio THE GATES OF SLUMBER, as heard on “The Gates of Slumber”.

The band follows the path created by BLACK SABBATH, with clear influences of SAINT VITUS and PENTAGRAM (the Doom Metal gods, please) as well, with those slow rhythms filled with nasty ‘Iommian’ riffs and solos, and a solid and very good work on bass guitar and drums. It’s clear that such words could give the idea that the trio is ‘just another Doom Metal band’, what’s not the truth as it is. The music has the same insane groove (as heard on bass guitar and drums on “We Are Perdition”) and is rich in melodies and energy. Taste it, and you won’t regret! The sonority: the band chose to have a classic Doom Metal sound outfit, or in other words, bitter and organic (in many moments, during the solos, there’s no rhythm guitar below them), but in a defined and understandable way. It’s not a sin to say that they use an ‘updated’ classic sonority for the genre.

“The Gates of Slumber” marks the coming back of the band, because the trio ceased its activities on 2013, but as they gathered again to play at the Hell Over Hammaburg festival in 2020 (that didn’t happen due Covid-19 pandemic), the reunion coincided with the re-release of some early records, and the Doom Metal germ started to itch, they came back. And what they deliver on “Embrace the Lie”, “We Are Perdition”, “Full Moon Fever”, “At Dawn”, “The Fog” and “The Plague” is what all Doom Metal fans can ask for: bitter slow tempos with strong and dense playing from bass guitar and drums, abrasive guitar riffs and nasty solos, and sick vocals with normal tunes. And there’s no reason for being descriptive with the songs, because all of them depict how a veteran knows how to deal with its cards.

Welcome back, THE GATES OF SLUMBER, and thank you for such fine piece of music on “The Gates of Slumber!”