Band:	Negator
Album:	Gates To The Pantheon
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	April 26, 2013
Guest review by:	Jericho Rehling

01. Epiclesis
02. Bringer Of War
03. The Last Sermon
04. Serpents Court
05. Nergal, The Raging King
06. Carnal Malefactor
07. The Urge For Battle
08. Atonement In Blood
09. Revelation 9:11
10. Necrodaemon Terrorsathan [Belphegor cover] [limited edition bonus]

Putting out their opus primus, Old Black, in 2004, German metallers Negator established themselves as a band that played very true-to-its-roots; fast, dirty black metal. Gates To The Pantheon is their fourth effort, and with it Negator has proven that, album after album, they're going to keep kicking in teeth with the force of a Panzer.

Gates To The Pantheon sees the band evolve their sound slightly. While their albums in the past have been almost monotonous in their speed and aggression, Gates To The Pantheon sees more diverse songwriting, with slower, more melodic sections which are much more prevalent than in any previous works, and the album seems to have a touch of death influencing it, compared to prior efforts. Don't get me wrong, though: Negator are still very much masters of speed and aggression.

They describe their music as Panzer Metal, and their sound is very much like a tank rolling over you: furious and heavy and absolutely relentless. The drumming in particular is exceptional, Samebrann drops blast beasts with withering speed and accuracy almost constantly. Riffs are crunchier than in earlier albums, the lead weaves some nice melodies through it all, and the predominant tremolo work is haunting, especially in "Serpents Court". And, of course, over it all, Steve's wails and growls wrap it together into a neat, complete package of darkness and hate. He uses fewer high shrieks than in Panzer Metal or Old Black, as he delves into hoarse shouts, low growls, and rasping screams, but they're still there, and the diversity is a nice change of pace from the previous three albums.

Gates To The Pantheon certainly captures the spirit of black metal. The album oozes ferocity and darkness, calling to my mind the sound of the Norwegian scene of the 90's, especially Nemesis Divina. The production accentuates this: it is clean enough to hear every instrument (except, perhaps, the bass guitar) crisply, but it still sounds a little raw, a little cold, a little evil.

Gates To The Pantheon is the fourth step in the evolution of Negator, and the band has successfully managed to change their music enough to keep it entertaining, but they've also preserved their core sound enough to appease their old fans. There's nothing new or exciting here, in terms of the development of black metal, but for fans of the sound of both 90's and contemporary black metal, they will find plenty here to slake their thirst.