Scottish Prog/Sludge band Of Spire & Throne deliver a suffocating beast of an album with this great sophomore full-length.
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The band's onw peculiar brand of Sludgy 'Post-Doom' is essentially made of long erratic sonic ramblings, with long fully instrumental passages sh...
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Gateway : Boundless Torture (EP)
An old-school audio assault from Belgian Death/Doom band Gateway, this EP's only fault is that it ends too quickly. |
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| This is my first encounter with Belgian Doom act Gateway. They play a very intense brand of Death/Doom that verges on being classified as an audio assault. From start to finish, they produce something that is utterly relentless. In that sense, I feel like Gateway are a '90s Doom band that somehow got stuck in a different century! It’s a crying shame that 'Boundless Torture' is just an EP, really. At around 23 minutes, it’s left me wanting a lot more because this is the kind of power that I love in Death/Doom. The vocals are utterly filthy, puncturing the wall of noise to cast menacing words upon the listener. The Death Metal sections are even more intense with furious drumming and raging riffs. It really is unrelenting! I have to hold my hands up and say that this really wasn’t what I was expecting from the band when I first read up on them. Mind you, I can’t say I had any specific expectations as to what they’d produce but I certainly didn’t think it’d be this! Frankly, 'Boundless Torture' is a very apt title for this EP because it describes the power of the music effortlessly well. The hatred found on this release is unlike any other that I’ve heard for quite some time now, and I love it! To me, Gateway have taken a few lessons from old Death/Doom legends diSEMBOWELMENT on 'Boundless Torture', and there aren’t many better mentors in this sub-genre than the Australians. There’s no let-up on this EP. There’s no need to create an atmosphere; it’s just pure, raw intensity. Almost like a Death/Doom version of Abruptum, if that makes sense. I honestly don’t know what else to say here! It’s a terrifically crushing piece of music that I loved from start to finish. I suppose some people will be put off by the rather chaotic mix but to me that only adds to the flavour of the EP. Again, I am disappointed that this isn’t a longer release because I’d really enjoy listening to more. 'Boundless Torture' should appeal to old school Death/Doom fans. Click HERE to discuss this review on the doom-metal forum. |
| Tracklist : 1. Boundless Torture 2. Famished Below 3. Iron Storms 4. Odyssey Of The Bereaved Duration : Approx. 23 minutes Visit the Gateway bandpage. |
