The Gates Of Slumber - The Wretch

The Gates of Slumber has been unfairly described as a fantasy doom band. True, their past two albums dealt with swords, sorcery and quests. But listeners who have followed Gates since the beginning of their career know they’ve never avoided topical concerns. The song “Trapped In a Web” from Conqueror is as much about society's false mores as it is a tale about a mythical creature.

On their new album The Wretch, Karl Simon and company sever their ties almost entirely from  swords and skullduggery and turn to the real world, much  like their  main influence Saint Vitus. It’s a fitting move; The Wretch is the most captivating and accomplished album yet from a band that grows exponentially on each recording.

The new approach and new drummer “Cool” Clyde Paradis (filling in for the departed Bob Fouts) have motivated Simon and bassist Jason McCash. The band is confident enough to let songs breathe  or pause entirely. Riffs crawl as much as they stomp. Simon’s vocals are his strongest yet; he’s abandoned his search for the elusive high note for a plainspoken delivery better suited to his voice.

Simon also seems energized with grittier fare; “The  Scourge Ov Drunkenness” is  a cautionary tale about drinking in the vein of Vitus’ “Dying Inside.” “Bastards Born “ and “The Wretch” are introspective songs from a band known more for hefting broadswords than exploring the vagaries of the human heart.

The Gates of Slumber are one of the best metal acts of the past decade. On The Wretch they make another confident step toward the metal pantheon.

(released May 10, 2011 on Rise Above Records)

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