Baltimore doom metal unit Gateway To Hell, who describe themselves as a "groovy, ghoulish mix of doom metal and the laughter of ugly children, with a touch of inebriation and shame”, release their debut five-track EP at the end of July. What may be surprising from both the band name and their own description of their music, is that this is an incredibly melodic form of doom, something that feels very Southern in outlook, and not nearly as dark and satanic as one might expect. The guitars are distorted to the max, the vocals are so rich that one can put a saddle on the soundwaves and ride them around the room, and the whole EP has a real groove and presence. It is hard to realise that this is a low-budget debut EP (apparently their only other releases have been a demo and a single), as this is class and I love it. Singer Jerrod Bronson has left the band since they recorded this, so it will be interesting to hear what they sound like on the album they are currently recording. This is well worth hearing.
Gateway To Hell - Clovers
, Kev Rowland
