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Rating: Raw, epic, bearded. These are the first three adjectives that come to mind when I think of the three American doomsters. Three tough-looking men who reflect their way of life in the music they play: slow, acidic, a psychedelic doom in the vein of Cirith Ungol.
"Suffer no guilt" is the band's second studio work, released in 2006, two years after the excellent debut "The awakening." This second CD is the ideal stylistic continuation of the first: slow guitar drawing sonic trips, drums and bass complementing the sick voice of leader Karl Simon.
Let’s start by saying that "Suffer no guilt" is a great album, which could have been a masterpiece if the band hadn't wanted to overdo it. This isn't a bad thing: The Gates of Slumber aimed high, perhaps too high. Aware of their musical attitude and unconcerned with the record market, they continued on their path, pushing their epic conception of doom metal to the extreme. For them, it's impossible to make songs without inserting the distorted guitar sound, which is a real thorn in the listener's side. One of the few doom albums that truly manages to annoy with its six strings. A clear manifestation of this way of building tracks is the splendid "Riders of doom", a morbid twelve-minute song that alternates properly heavy/psychedelic inserts with purely doom sections. All accompanied by the "vitreous" voice of Karl Simon.
Probably aware of the risk of missing the mark with a deliberately massive and drawn-out album (almost 75 minutes), the three from Indianapolis decided to place several instrumental episodes, among which "Wyrmwood" and the Nordic "The woe of kings" stand out, taking us back to remind us of the master Quorthon in atmosphere and sounds. After all these positive elements, it's undeniable to note that the length of some tracks, like the title track and the sonic dolmen "God wills it" inevitably breaks the album's rhythm. It is typical of the genre to listen to songs with extended playtime, but in this case, despite being well-constructed, it's their very length that limits their assimilability, consequently increasing boredom.
Despite this flaw, for the rest, the album flows quite smoothly. The band's artistic coordinates are emphasized and it's reiterated two years after "The awakening" that The Gates of Slumber mean business. In fact, thanks to Suffer no guilt, the group has achieved decent public success, although the offering is quite selective.
One last note: the cover... leave it alone...
1. "Angel Of Death" (5:33)
2. "Suffer No Guilt" (14:06)
3. "Gemini" (1:54)
4. "Riders Of Doom" (12:11)
5. "Slay The Weak" (3:50)
6. "Wyrmwood" (3:22)
7. "Dweller In The Deep" (7:08)
8. "Children Of The night" (1:31)
9. "God Wills It" (20:23)
10. "The Woe Of Kings" (4:37)
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By Hellring
They are the expression of the purest doom metal. The slow, very slow kind, with a sweetly sadistic voice, acidic guitars and suffocating rhythms.
"The Awakening" is a great debut work, perhaps a bit static, but powerful and impactful as doom should be.
