So, I did not have a new The Gates of Slumber record on my year’s bingo card. A mere 13 years after their last studio album, the be-doomed ones have returned. I must confess to being really excited to hear how they would be. The Indiana based three piece were always a top-tier crew for fan of all things slow, heavy and epic. It turns out that they’d actually had a reunion of sorts back at around 2019, but Covid had slowed down their progress a little, with a few new songs already written.

However, it is in the nature of doom to have gratification delayed, and so it is that in 2024, the self-titled album comes to pass. Opener “Embrace the Lie” really sets the scene for what The Gates are about; imagine if you will the bluesy American doom of Saint Vitus meeting the barbarian tones of Conan (the band, naturally) with the power-trio ferocity of High on Fire, and you won’t go far wrong. Huge, bass-heavy riffs and war-drumming collide with the tight-as-hell riffing. “We Are Perdition” brings up the next attack, with the kind of slow, patient build up that’s impossible not to nod your head to. New bassist Steve Janiak (also of very under rated doom crew Apostle of Solitude) pins this monster down hard with the infectious playing. Vocalist and axe-slinger Karl Simon is in great form, with a vocal delivery that brings to mind a more aggressive and deeper Rob Lowe (ex-Solitude Aeturnus, ex-Candlemass). Chuck Brown smashes unholy hell out of the kit here too, with some great song writing to allow the drums to have centre stage.

“Full Moon Fever” is a more upbeat proposition, with a great lurching riff that should bring to mind werewolves running around the moors. There’s a mainstream true heavy metal vibe here that sits comfortably along other great bands of the type. “At Dawn” is a real standout on the album. With a ferocious bottom end and an embarrassment of catchy riffs, it made me wonder what the first Ghost album might have sounded like if it was played by people who actually like heavy metal. The ear for a great melody, combined with the merciless tone and fuzzed out six-string vibe is in full effect here.

“The Fog” begins with an eerie introduction, as should any track that pays homage to the John Carpenter classic. The bass sound here is so damn thick that I’m worried that playing at loud volumes may produce involuntary brown-note moments. The vocal moans at the beginning of the track should be cheesy. They’re not. The Gates of Slumber are not a band to dabble with irony; this is spooky music played straight, and it’s all the better for it. Album closer “The Plague” is the kind of tune that most doom bands wish they could write. It’s expansive, heavy as hell and – as a sign of the quality – weighs in at over seven minutes, but feels like it’s half that long.

Then, just like that, it’s over. Six songs (albeit many of them around the six minute or so mark). The Gates have no need to outstay their welcome – such is their confidence that they drop a 35 minute banger, leave the closing notes to fade out, and they disappear. My only hope is that they’ll be back before another decade elapses. Have they still got it? They never lost it.

(8.5/10 Chris Davison)

https://www.facebook.com/thegatesofslumber

https://thegatesofslumber.bandcamp.com/album/the-gates-of-slumber