Raw psychedelic black metal. First album by Gates of Dawn, out now on CD for the first time. This one-man project of Travis Nordahl, mastermind behind the excellent El-Ahrairah and mastering genious behind many of nowadays top-class Raw Black Metal releases, started off in 2018 as a Dungeon Synth project, with a great split with Charnel Oubliette. Since then, it remained unheard until 2020, when a single track was released as a promo for this album, which is now finally out! Taking now the form of a modern take to the Symphonic Black Metal sound, Gates of Dawn is a glaring example of innovation without compromise. An album of freezing majesty but enchanting inner discovery too, this eponymous album travels amongst many influences. The riffs remain rooted on 90s demos, in a straightforward form, simple and primitive, layering a cold, solid foundation to the multitude of layers stacked upon. The keyboard and synth work are really what shine through the most and lead the way in this album. Various layers of cosmic bliss and invigorating beauty, with many different facets to them, contrasting with the primitivism of the guitar lines. Taking inspiration from various sources, from the nightly sounds of Emperor, to Grausamkeit's most daring and crazed experiments, Gates of Dawn also retains similarities to some of his contemporaries exploring this type of sound nowadays and harnesses on their qualities. A few to mention would be the romantic melancholia in Midnight Betrothed, the cosmic explorations in Kaldeket or the ancient, medieval mysticism in Ærekær. Truly a great and singular addition in the current revival and reinterpretations of the Symphonic Black Metal sound.
