Band:	The Gates Of Slumber
Album:	The Awakening
Style:	Doom metal
Release date:	2004

01. The Awakening (Interpolating The Wrath Of The Undead)
02. The Judge
03. The Jury
04. Broken On The Wheel
05. The Executioner
06. Blessed Pathway To The Celestial Kingdom
07. The Burial

It took 6 years before The Gates of Slumber finally released their debut album, but I must say it was really worth all the time it took.

For those of you who are wondering: "who the fu** are Gates of Slumber anyway??" I must say that they are a very talented traditional doom metal band in the vein of Saint Vitus, from the United States.

The band's debut album is such a strong experience that it's hard to describe it really. It is heavy, it is slow, it is sludgy, it is melodic, it is emotional, and damn, somehow it is so demolishing! It is like every riff touches you and crushes all the bones you have in your body. My favourite song from the album must be "The Jury" . The song starts by creating some kind of "spooky" atmosphere (which for some reason really reminds me of Aladdin), and after not more than 1 minute, the atmosphere gets totally stoned by the drums sound and the devastating vocals. Every riff from this song feels like either a strong punch in your face or a hard kick in your stomach, you feel the pain through your entire body, but you embrace it and totally enjoy it. The rest of the album follows pretty much the same rule, ultra heavy riffs, stoned vocals, and lots of solos in between. Yes, let's not also forget all the solos, because there are lots of them too. The solos are like cold water on our bruises; it lightens our pain and makes it easier for us to survive the rest of the album. Also, some songs on the album, like the song "The Executioner" for example, have a much faster tempo and are not as bone-crushing as the slower songs of the album, but this is also just why the album has a good variety and prevents the album from being boring.

This album could probably be the soundtrack to a movie about witch burnings during the medieval times; it fits that mood so perfectly!

If you like traditional doom and are a fan of Saint Vitus and similar bands but also like to hear a sludgier side of traditional doom, then this is definitely the band for you.