There has never been any question to the very quality that the world of death and doom metal are able to conjure once they’re brought together by hands that are able to contain such massive power, and it’s a sight that will likely never get old given the wild talent that the style still has to call its own from veteran acts to new names that are carving their own paths through the underground. Ever since the first release of its initial demo nine years ago, Gateway has been a true creation of the underground that is to be respected to the fullest. The band’s undeniable power and thick layers of carnivorous slime have made for some of the most engaging and unrelenting death-doom that I’ve lost myself in over the years. Eight years since its first full-length album, Gateway returns with its sophomore full-length with such a power and maturity that every inch of its magnitude cannot be denied in the slightest!

Already, any new material from a band like Gateway is to be heralded in with excitement given all that has come before. Unapologetically filthy to the fullest, Gateway’s ascent through the underground has been a sort that modern greats are built off of with even a two-year hiatus not standing in the way of this immense might. As if any of us who know of such a truth needed any further convincing, “Galgendood” stands as the act’s most mature and unyielding creation to date by a mile! While lacking some of the longer songs that we see done through past releases like “Flesh Reborn” and “Boundless Torture”, the six tracks spread across a 30-minute runtime that make up “Galgendood” are not to be underestimated for anything. There is ancient power amongst these riffs with very few bands in the realm of death-doom able to come close to matching such blood-soaked riffs that come together seamlessly with undeniable musicianship and a knack for true heaviness that immediately elevates this performance into something of a different caliber altogether. This is the sort of creation that demands a cleansing after a listen for those who are not already familiar with all that Gateway is capable of. But for those of us who are, there is no greater joy than to bathe in the darkness and muck that Gateway commands with absolute supremacy as this particular breed of death-doom cannot be easily shaken off no matter what you do.

The spirit of Gateway has always be viciously strong, but it has to be with all that’s been brought to the table with “Galgendood” that we’re able to witness Gateway at a real peak. What comes next matters not for this is a landmark release for Gateway and all who come into contact with it without exception, and I have no doubt that this chaos will be hailed as one of the year’s heaviest and best. There’s no doubt about it – Gateway’s conquest through the underground has yet to come upon a challenge it doesn’t cut down with absolute impunity.

“Galgendood” releases on July 21st via Transcending Obscurity Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Galgendood” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Gateway on Facebook here.