The Gates of Slumber, the band that never seems to sleep. Lucky for us that is, as they keep getting better and better. "Hymns of Blood and Thunder" is really man made metal, all the way from the cover to the song titles. Well, we're not really talking Manowar here. Sure, the whole concept looks super macho, but with a bit of self distance. As with most doom metal bands the influences are quite obvious. A touch of Black Sabbath here, a pinch of Saint Vitus there, but in this case you can also add a heavy dose of some NWOBHM.
First track, "Chaos Calling" hits you in the face right away. A perfect opener as it's like you're being thrown into an album that's already been going for a couple of songs. There's no fancy intros here, oh no. It keeps on going like this, leaving the listener no time to breathe. And why would be wanna breathe? Who needs basic stuff like that when you can live off an album like "Hymns of Blood and Thunder"? If you do however need a break from all the metal (why would you), you can always enjoy the softer track "The Mist of the Mourning", complete with female guest vocals. It's also the shortest track on the album, maybe intentional, so that we not fall asleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment