Alastor is a Black Metal band from Portugal. Born in the year 1988. On May 8th, 2023, the band released their previously unreleased studio album from 1996, Gates Of Darkness, which would gratify fans of Hoth, Nethermancy and Decayed. The album was released through Haloran Records.
Introduction:
Alastor, Gates Of Darkness: This review will evaluate every aspect of the album, from its intricate musical composition to its production. Our analysis will provide valuable insights to help you determine if this album is worth adding to your collection.
The First Three Sins of Gates Of Darkness
Let’s start by discussing the first three sins of Alastor and their album, Gates Of Darkness.
The First Sin, The Strings/Keys: Features rapid-fire guitar riffs and finger blistering shedding. The Second Sin, The Vocals: Involve evil and aggressive vocal work. The Third Sin—The Percussions: Delves into the vast world of various tempos, fills, unrelenting beats and intense/hellish drum strikes/fills.
The Fourth Sin: Overall Discussion: An allure and mystique of old-school extreme metal.
Immediately as that play button is pressed, you’ll be completely engrossed in the mesmerising instrumental track, Into The Obscurity, as the sound of the wind transports you to another world. This sets the ideal mood for the album, with Through The Gates as the second track and the other ten songs providing an electrifying and intense journey of savage, blackened thrash for your ears and spirit.
Gates Of Darkness is an exceptional work that truly pays homage to the metal genre. The music draws inspiration from classic metal bands such as the ferocious and malevolent thrash of Venom and Bathory, as well as modern blackened speed groups like Bewitcher. Providing the listener’s ears with a fast, heavy, thrashy, headbanging, and raw release that will captivate even the most discerning metal enthusiasts.
“What sets it apart from other albums is that it remained unreleased until now, adding to its allure and mystique.”
As you delve deeper into the mesmerising world of music, you may encounter a hauntingly dark aura that sends shivers down your spine. The infusion of traditional and modern (remastered) production techniques is so fruit of art executed that it gives rise to a captivating performance, leaving an indelible impression on your mind and soul. Gates Of Darkness showcases rapid-fire guitar riffs/finger blistering shedding, hellish drumming, and evil and aggressive vocals that vary in tone, mood, and tempo. All were delivered by an exceptionally well-crafted performance, showcasing exceptional composition, instrumentation, and production.
Gates Of Darkness provides twelve songs, nine songs, two instrumental tracks, and a cover song, Children Of The Grave, by the iconic legends Black Sabbath. Despite my usual reluctance to cover songs, the band’s rendition of Children Of The Grave by Black Sabbath. Stands out as a remarkable achievement. They incorporated raw, fast-paced elements while staying true to the original, creating a unique and original sound. It’s an impressive display of the band’s creativity and musical talent. If you’re interested in a particular genre or something fresh and exhilarating.
I highly recommend listening to Gates Of Darkness.
The album comes to an end with the last song, Towards the End. We want to give a shoutout to Haloran Records for letting us review Alastor and their album, Gates Of Darkness. Now, we’re going to wrap it up by talking about the final three sins and concluding the review.
The Last Three Sins
Let’s discuss the last three sins, our thoughts on Alastor and their album, Gates Of Darkness.
The Fifth Sin, The Memorabilia: Is that for us, Gates Of Darkness is a forbidden fruit of art – a must-listen for metal fans who appreciate high-quality music that stays true to the genre’s roots while pushing it forward.
The Sixth Sin, The Artwork:
The artwork is OK, not the best nor the worst! — yet as this modern -yet old-school look.
The Seventh Sin, Disrelish:
Nothing to disrelish within the musical spectrum of Alastor, and their album Gates Of Darkness.
This concludes the Alastor, Gates Of Darkness review.
Track-Listing:
- Into the Obscurity (instrumental)
- Through the Gates
- Sacrifice to Satan
- Hell on Earth
- No Exorcism
- Bestial Wrath of the Antichrist
- Possessed by Darkness
- Children of the Grave (Black Sabbath cover)
- Total Devastation
- Merciless Mayhem (instrumental)
- Spawn of Evil
- Towards the End
Alastor is:
- Tormentor – bass, vocals
- Destructor – drums
- Desecrator – guitar
