GATES OF SLUMBER - Wretch - UK Edition

Latest album by an American metal formation drawing by the handful on the traditions of the seventies and eighties. On their fifth album the band turned decidedly towards traditional doom metal in the vein of Trouble, Solitude Aeturnus, Pentagram or Electric Wizard. The influences of classic, epic heavy metal in the manner of Judas Priest or Cirith Ungol, very clear on the previous two albums, have been forgotten. The record is dominated by very slow, heavy and rather raw playing bringing to mind above all the work of early Black Sabbath - even the guitar solos sound as if torn straight from that era! It has supposedly all been done before, but the record is a real pleasure to listen to! Very tastefully presented British CD from the label Rise Above. Traditional jewel case slipped into a cardboard slipcase. Highly recommended! (K)