MAUSOLEUM GATE
“INTO A DARK DIVINITY”
Album Review By Iron Mathew

8/10

Mausoleum Gate are a traditional heavy metal band from Finland formed in 2008 releasing an E.P. in 2010, a single in 2013 and their debut album in 2014. The band released a second E.P. in 2016, with their second album released in 2017.

The Metal And The Might E.P. from last year showed two sides to Mausoleum Gate…the seventies inspired doom laden stomp and the blistering pace of the classic sound of NWOBHM. With their new album, Mausoleum Gate offer up another mix of these two styles, six songs across forty minutes, including two that clock in at over ten minutes apiece. A tense atmospheric intro gets the album underway as ‘Condemned To Darkness’ wanders into view, fully laden with the sound of the seventies style of heavy metal, popularised by icons Black Sabbath. A superb clean and clear vocal performance adds to the epic nature of ‘Condemned To Darkness’ as it stumbles on its way. Clocking in at a length of nine minutes, ‘Condemned To Darkness’ twists and turns with heavy guitars, doom laden riffs, mellow passages and all the while keeping a foot tapping addictiveness alive from start to finish.

A dramatic change of pace changes the albums direction as ‘Burn The Witches At Dawn’ explodes into life and races off at speed. The classic sound of the evolutionary NWOBHM movement from the late seventies/early eighties is prominent as the guitars buzz and the rhythm gallops. ‘Burn The Witches At Dawn’ is a two and a half minutes blast of head banging heavy metal. A very heavy, doom style riff breathes life into the first ten minutes plus song, ‘Apophis’. The mood of the song is dark and haunting and will most definitely send a shiver down the spine as it plods along at a slow pace. The mid song breakdown slows the pace even more and for me, someone who much prefers the fast paced, up tempo and highly energetic romps, ‘Apophis’ began to lose my attention just a little bit, until the final furious minute when . . . well, let’s just say Mausoleum Gate managed to get my attention back… The mid tempo pace and feel of ‘Solomons Key’ is early eighties Black Sabbath and Dio inspired fare. A bludgeoning riff will hit you hard as you stomp your feet and nod your head hard in appreciation.

Rocket powered and full of energy, ‘Horns’ is an electrifying journey of galloping rhythms and screaming guitars, hinting at the direction Judas Priest took heavy metal as the seventies came to a close. ‘Horns’ is gonna have your head nodding back and forth furiously such is the pace and power that oozes from every twang and thump. Bringing the album to a close is the second ten minutes plus song, ‘Into A Dark Divinity’. Mellow and atmospheric, ‘Into A Dark Divinity’ has the same feel and vibe as the opening song ‘Condemned To Darkness’. However, there is a more hymn-like feel to ‘Into A Dark Divinity’ and a leaning towards power ballad territory. Fans will be swaying and lighters will be held aloft as ‘Into A Dark Divinity’ rolls on and on.

Overall, inspired by the sound of seventies heavy metal, by bands such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, Mausoleum Gate deliver a mix of doom and NWOBHM.

TRACKLIST

Condemned To Darkness
Burn The Witches At Dawn
Apophis
Solomons Key
Horns
Into A Dark Divinity

https://mausoleumgatemetal.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MausoleumGate/

This review is the property of Iron Mathew and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

---