review: Mausoleum Gate

[review by MMB]

Mausoleum Gate

Into a Dark Divinity

Cruz Del Sur Music

release: 8 September 2017

The sweet freedom that Mausoleum Gate searches with its new and bold album in 2017 is a bit apart from the cold-cash decisions of the music business world. In case you have never heard them, they do not want to walk in the shadows of the fashions of today. They make their own personal dark psychedelic heavy metal, embedded with progressive heavy rock and occult themes. They have been at this craft since 2009, according to Metal Archives. They have worked and toiled at their interpretation of the early classic heavy metal and these Finns exceed at their craft, building up to this album for years. Their previous works already pointed in this direction, all good stuff, but we see now that Mausoleum Gate is at home, thriving and blossoming into a fresh sound, discovering their truth.

Can you adjust your ears and listening skills to accommodate the unique mystical dark sounds of yesteryear in the present? The band's fans will already know what to expect, but some people might be surprised by this vintage heavy rock. Is it possible for many metal audiences to understand and appreciate what the band seeks? You won't find some central elements from today's music: the animal screaming and growling; the no-talent-necessary punkmetal ethos; the super loud guitars and the overall concern with being fast and heavy. Instead, you get singing. The singing remains singing, a bit mysterious/strange with a vibe of wizards, witches, rituals and the dark side, enhanced through the use of the famous church organ popularized in the foundational years of hard and heavy rock decades ago. The Hammond organ adds a great spirit to the music, which can rock or slow down and take you for a trip to other time dimensions.

If a person has the willingness to adjust the ears, then this band has a chance to win people over. The metal audiences in their 50s, 60s, 70s and older age ranges will probably smile to hear how this music fits in their record collection, right next to the beloved bands. The younger generations might end up discovering a whole new way of thinking. This would be the biggest and sweetest victory of all for the band: convincing young metal audiences to accept this music and to welcome it.

The old is new again and the classics return.

mausoleumgatemetal.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/MausoleumGate