First thought here was that surely a Cavernous Gateway would make more sense than a Gate but I am probably just splitting hairs. Anyway, this is a project from Helrunar founder Sebastian “S.K.” Körkemeier and follows up the split he put out with Markus Stock’s Sun Of The Sleepless in 2019. If you are au-verse with Helrunar you can probably guess this is going to be pretty epic stuff, especially when you consider that Sebastian is taking things here down an atmospheric and somewhat dark doom path with a smattering of death employed for good measure. Indeed, with intro of chanting, bouncing slow timpani beats and melodious chimes dispensed of most of the tracks here weigh in at an 8-10-minute running time. We are in for the long course and there is plenty to immerse oneself in.
‘Old Graves Stir’ and soil is gradually sifted. This is a work that seems in no hurry and the feeling here is clean via vocals and ponderous via pace before Paradise is Regained via growls and we are inspirationally in a quiet little churchyard somewhere in the North of England. It’s certainly got its own uniqueness however due to the harpsichord like sound and swirling mist projected by gloomy keyboards giving this a ghostly classical edge, perfect for oncoming long winter nights. Injecting into speedy flurries the “death knell” is present both musically and lyrically. Attention is necessary as we trawl ‘Through The Morass’ its great background music and on the whole quite chilled although the death stomp occasionally invigorates things. There’s plenty of classic doom guitar lines shivering their way through the frosty cold air and the clean sermons and growls mix things up nicely as far as vocals are concerned.
Expect passages of piano and organ along the way as well as vibes that are full of solemnity. Although everything is on first glance drawn out the musicality is carefully constructed and these tracks become overtures rather than mere songs, their composer having plenty of different things to enrich them with. Pointing them all out would be superfluous but they are there for anyone to discover over repeated plays. Perhaps perversely I really like the short interlude piece ‘Watcher Of The West’ as it kind of opens a (ahem) gateway to another part of the odyssey in a Tolkein-esque Summoning sort of way.
This isn’t an easy album and is one more for doom devotees rather than the casual listener due to the attention you need to give it. That said, once you have it will start seeping into your very soul and it’s the sort of album that is perfect for settling down with a good book and allowing it to wash over you as well as one for specifically gazing into its myriad layers and rewarding it with your full attention. ‘Wandering Between The Worlds’ if you will!
(7.5/10 Pete Woods)
Leave a Reply