Gates Of Slumber - 'Hymns Of Blood & Thunder'

The Gates of Slumber release what might be their magnum opus.

The Gates of Slumber have been in the metal game since the late 1990s but made their presence fully known in the underground with 2008’a Conqueror. The Indianapolis doom trio have upped their game further with their new album Hymns of Blood & Thunder. It’s leaner and more sinewy and packed with a mix of songs that stand on their own while paying tribute to the doom masters. The Gates of Slumber, a good decade older than most of their metal peers, have stuck to their vision and sound despite the trends. It’s paid off with what might be the best album of their career.

Where can you start when there is so much goodness crammed into less than an hour? Right at the beginning, with the powerful riff of “Chaos Calling,” which would fit perfectly on Sabotage. “The Doom of Aceldama” reverts back slightly to Conqueror, but the strength is the strong’s minimalism; there are times of near silence where the band will let a stand-alone riff and staccato drumming tell the story. There’s also the inevitable Wino-St. Vitus touch on “Bringer of War.”

Frontman Karl Simon likely wouldn’t call himself a gifted vocalist but there are levels of nuance and expression in his voice only hinted at earlier. While there are a few songs that stretch the ten-minute limit Hymns is more compact than Conqueror, and Simon seems to flourish when working with co nventional song lengths. “Iron” Bob Fouts doesn’t pound the kit like the uber-technical death metal drummers but offers a strong and sometimes jazzy performance. Jason McCash also contributes to the powerful low-end; on “Beneath The Eyes of Mars” his bass solo has an eerie industrial feel.

Hymns of Blood & Thunder is powerful and infectious. It’s reverential but also original. It’s everything a metal album should be. Raise your broadswords to The Gates of Slumber.