Review THE GATES OF SLUMBER “The Gates of Slumber”

The Gates of Slumber might be a band that not everyone has on their metal radar. Formed in 1998, the trio has released some really good albums, starting in 2004 with their debut, “…the Awakening”.

“The Wedge” marked the end of the first era of this doom behemoth from Indianapolis, Indiana, and the band disbanded in 2013. During their hiatus, fate struck the band, as bassist Jason McCash passed away in 2014.

The guys regrouped in 2019 and with Karl Simon a remaining founding member is on board. Long-time companion Chuck Brown picked up the guitar again to provide The Gates Of Slumber with some mighty slo-mo riffs, while Steve Janiak took over the bass. One of the things that sparked some excitement for a reunion were several invitations to Hamburg’s legendary Hell Over Hammaburg festival, but there was no chance to follow up on the invitation as there was no band. But the seed was planted and
while rehearsing songs from the first album, some ideas for new songs grew.

The Gates Of Slumber are now fully back in the game with a self-titled comeback album that is a masterfully crafted doom metal feast.

“The Gates of Slumber” contains six songs and the band picks up where they left off. Heavy riffing, a snail’s pace beat and Simon’s great vocals make this album a great release that harkens back to the heyday of doom metal.

No doubt there are some references to bands like Black Sabbath, the pioneers of doom metal. Besides this link to the primordial soup of doom metal, it’s also the sound of bands like Candlemass and St. Vitus that shimmers through these heavy sound structures.

“The Gates of Slumber” is an album that puts a heavy weight on your soul, starting with “Embeace the Lie”. The riff slowly crawls out of the speakers and it feels like being confronted with a ten ton hammer. In addition, with the hypnotic chorus, the song immediately reveals its malevolent character. The oppressive bass line introducing “We Are Perdition” indicates that this isn’t a happy song either. The basic character of the opener remains while it’s a Sabbathian riff that adds a lot of heaviness to “We Are Perdition”.

A change of gears comes with “Full Moon Fever”. Now, we are still far away from speed metal, while the moderate tempo yet distinguishes the song from the previous ones. Outstanding is also the middle part, which sounds like a fever dream.

“At Dawn” contains a typical Celtic Frost reference with Simon screaming the typical “Uuuuuuhhh” before “The Fog” takes you into the world of horror. Based on the Carpenter movie of the same name, The Gates Of Slumber were inspired to create their musical interpretation of this horror movie classic.
While most of the songs are melancholic and dark, it’s at the end of the album when the guys suddenly change the tempo. The very powerful ending of “The Plague” is a great way to end a release that is a treat for fans of doom metal.

“The Gates of Slumber” is the very successful return of a band that can already look back on a successful first era. Now, in their new phase, Karl Simon and his bandmates refer to that time without sounding old-fashioned. It’s rather the fascination for slow-paced music and the impact of riff monsters that drive this release, which should not be missed.