Gates of Winter are a young band (their average age is only in their early twenties) formed in 2003 that have taken the proverbial bull by the horns and released their first full-length album Lux Aeterna on their own label. With their gloomy and somewhat progressive sound, the comparisons to bands such as Amorphis might arise, but although I do hear similarities, and also to other groups such as Opeth and even Novembers Doom, one cant also help notice they arent a copy-cat band, but rather one that has skillfully expanded on their influences and is well on their way to forming their own distinct style.
If youll pardon the lame pun, the songs on Lux Aeterna (Eternal Light) are well, quite luxurious. Richly composed with layers of clean and distorted guitars, orchestral and piano keyboard pieces, well-composed solos, and a wide variety of vocal styles, all of the tracks are quite interesting and enjoyable. They describe their sound as Symphonic Metal, but I would categorize these Canadians more as Dark Progressive Metal since the keyboards are relatively subdued compared to that typical of the genre.
The entire band performs quite well on this record, with everyone getting a chance to be heard and leaving a good impression. Vocalist / rhythm guitarist Lee Maines effectively switches from a mid-ranged Gothy style voice on parts of the opener Life Force Rapture to the Death growls heard on II: Heavenly Insurgence, to the hushed vocals on The Wildwood Pariah. His voice is dramatic, believable, and perfect for the different moods of the music. With his gruff voice, some of the cleaner vocals often reminded me of Ville Laihialla of Sentenced, or perhaps also Russell Allen of Symphony X. Many unaccustomed to this style might be put off at first, but once youve heard the emotion that Lee manages to project with his full range, you should hopefully warm up to it.
Lead guitarist Bryan Joseph Belleau is remarkably good, tackling everything from progressive rhythms, to melodic solos, and also throwing in some occasional quick fills. I was quite shocked to read on their bio that he has only been playing guitar since 2001! Keyboardist Brian Holmes and Steve Angelo Furgiuele (bass) also do a great job, with the keyboards being quite tasteful and more in the background, except for a few cases where piano or more distinct synthesizer lines are used. Steves bass lines are quite melodic and he sometimes plays interesting little riffs rather than just plodding along to the music as many bassists do. The drums (by non-permanent member Jon Harvey) are solid, heavy, and give many of the songs a pummeling driving sound.
Nearly every track on the album offers something interesting, and much like one expects with Progressive Metal it might take a few spins for it all to fully sink in. The songwriting, done mostly by Lee, is based on themes of spirituality and other mystical imagery and is for the most part also quite good and well suited to the music. At the heart of the album is a trilogy under the main title of Burning Kingdom. This epic composition begins with I: A Dark Affliction which is one of the more distinguished tracks as it takes off at a breakneck pace reminding me a lot of a typical Novembers Doom song with its massive rhythm attack. Lees vocals are raw in their anger, but are balanced by guest vocalist Jody Lynn Bedard who adds an ethereal and beautiful counterpoint to the song. The next part, subtitled II: Heavenly Insurgence features an acoustic guitar intro, ringing melodic bass lines, and after a brief emotional lead guitar figure returns to the heavy charging rhythms. The song breaks into a soft interlude of warbling guitar and synthesizer before a great guitar solo shatters the built up tension. The final part of the trilogy, and title track of the album, III: Lux Aeterna is an instrumental piece that recalls some of the earlier melodies of the first two parts but expands on them a little further. Orchestral keyboards play in the background as the song in keeping with the apparent album theme, seems to play out an epic battle between good and evil.
The real surprise on this album however, was the somber ballad The Wildwood Pariah with its gentle acoustic guitars, dramatic vocals, ghostly effects, and almost Beatleesque keyboards. It was great example of the far-beyond their years (and experience) compositions on this album and is a standout track for those that welcome such quieter moments. Of course, as I said at the beginning of this review, the band does have a similarity to Amorphis and the great album closer Omega with its piano introduction, alternating clean and rough vocals and slightly folky lead guitar accompaniment does in fact sound like a missing track from Silent Waters, which is hopefully seen as a compliment and not a criticism as it still fits in perfectly with the rest of the songs and finishes the album off quite nicely.
This disc was very much an unexpected surprise. A young, relatively upstart band that releases independently an album that seems to not only show nearly as much skill and talent as that of the veteran European bands they admire, but that also demonstrates their own unique style and direction, not just in the making, but already present and only needing of a little more refinement which they will no doubt soon achieve. Some of the instrumental portions did seem to go on a little long and their style seems not quite fully gelled all the time, but its still a far better album than many released by more experienced bands. If they continue to create such compelling music and hone their craft further, I really expect them to do very well and hopefully soon get signed. Definitely a band worth checking out and keeping an eye on if youre a fan of any of the other groups Ive mentioned here.
