THE GATES OF SLUMBER are a Doom metal band from the US, originally formed in 1998 by guitarist/vocalist Karl Simon after the demise of his previous band, The Keep. Since then, the band have gone through several line-up changes and produced two demos: Blood Encrusted Deth Axe
(2000) and The Judge (2003). Now in 2004, with a stabilised line-up including ex The Keep members Jason McCash on bass and Chuck Brown on drums, THE GATES OF SLUMBER release their very promising debut album The Awakening.

The album begins at a slow pace, the sound of church bells and the screams of tortured souls lead in to the brooding title track, with Simon's clear but dirty vocals providing the perfect accompaniment to the collection of slow, chugging riffs. Things speed up later on with The Executioner and the excellent Broken On The Wheel, the later song containing one of the grooviest doom riffs I've heard in a long time! After a very chilled out Sabbath-esque instrumental, the album ends as it began, with closing track The Burial dragging the listener through nine and a half minutes of epic, downbeat doom.

If the debut album The Awakening is anything to go by, expect good things in the future from THE GATES OF SLUMBER. While the songs have been written with the obvious doom influences, (Sabbath, St. Vitus etc.), there is also a degree of intricacy and imagination in the song writing that sets the band apart and makes The Awakening a worthwhile purchase for fans of the genre. Also, if you get the chance be sure to check the band out when they tour Europe in April 2005.