Review DOLMEN GATE “Gateways of Eternity”

No Remorse is a label with a good sense for well-done traditional heavy metal, so it’s no surprise that the guys signed Dolmen Gate, a rather new band. Hailing from Portugal, the five-piece is dedicated to epic metal and there is certainly a lot of Manilla Road and Omen that the guys have heard over the past few years.

“Gateways of Eternity” is the title of their debut album, which the band released after putting out an EP in 2023. The band isn’t in a hurry and what they offer on the debut are songs in moderate tempo with a certain doom vibe that swings with each of these nine songs.

After the intro “Dolmen Gate” it’s “Rest in Flames” and “The Oath” that give a good idea of the sound of this young and talented band from Southern Europe. Both songs are built on well executed riffs and especially the vocals of singer Ana have to be mentioned. She can easily reach the higher notes and has a lot of emotional impact in her way of singing.

“Chambers of Magic” is the song that was released prior to the release of the album and it belongs to the faster moments of the record. Dolmen Gate are far away from being a speed metal band, but there are tempo changes in “Chambers of Magic” that show the creativity of this young band.

You can’t say we’ve never heard this kind of music before. Songs like the dark “The Wheel” and the varied “Betrayal” are related to bands like the ones mentioned above. But Dolmen Gate can convince with a passionate commitment and music that will make metalheads’ hearts beat faster. I like this album and with the potential the band has, it will be exciting to follow the next steps of this Portuguese metal band.