The Gates Of Slumber

There's no denying that old school metal fans the Gates Of Slumber fall asleep at night to the strains of Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality and hold a special place in their hearts for Southern rock and Alabama Thunder Pussy. From the Orange amp grunt of their guitars to the mid-tempo pacing and generally massive, haunting atmosphere on this ten-track album, these guys hold their own against current masters of the doom scene such as Bison B.C. Strangely, despite the wickedly hook-laden low-end riffs and terrific song structures, there's something missing when Karl Simon sings. A touch too crisp and soaring, he erases some of that primal essence, coming across as yet another Bruce Dickinson hopeful. Were he to shoot from the testicles instead of shrivelling them up, Hymns Of Blood And Thunder could be powerful. Unfortunately "better late than never" doesn't apply to the recording process.