Gate to Sheol

The underground black metal scene has been filled with rumour since the inception of this band, and with good reason; after all, how can a serious fan of black metal ignore a project by members and ex-members of such bands as Rites of thy Degringolade and Weapon? I decided to check what the buzz was about and obtained Gate to Sheol, and I can say with utmost conviction that this release is the best Canadian black metal release of the year, and at least in the top ten worldwide.

This MCD consists of five new tracks and the two tracks that were on the self-titled release. The opening track starts off with a sound sample of trumpets, and rapidly switches over to a furious black metal assault. The vocals delivered by Haasiophis are comparable to the ones in the newer Deathspell Omega releases, although I find they have more power to them than Mikko Aspa's. The guitarwork is original and crushing, which is to be expected from a musician such as Malevolus. The aspect of the music that stood out for me the most, however, was the inhuman drumming courtesy of Profanis(A.K.A. Paulus Kressman). The man is most likely one of the best drummers in the country; in virtually every song, the man sounds like he is trying to kill his kit. Spread throughout the songs, we have various sound samples, such as church choirs, bells, etc. that are reminiscent of Funeral Mist's Salvation album. The lyrics are written in old english, and deal mostly with Satanism on a theistic level.

Overall, this release by this (for the moment) relatively unknown canadian band contains some of the best religious black metal to have come from the pit in recent years. I cannot find anything wrong to pick apart in this release, at all. Buy this album, and praise Satan.