Yellow Eyes - Confusion Gate - review
Yellow Eyes - Confusion Gate - review
Tracklist
01. Brush The Frozen Horse02. The Thought Of Death
03. Suspension Moon
04. I. Nocturne
05. A Forgotten Corridor
06. I Fear The Master's Murmur
07. II. Beyond
08. The Scent Of Black Mud
09. III. The Entrance
10. Confusion Gate
A review by
AndyMetalFreak November 11, 2025
Yellow Eyes are a US black metal band formed in 2010. Their style, rooted in black metal, has a tendency to go in more experimental and avant-garde directions, incorporating influences from the likes of dark ambient, neofolk, industrial, and dungeon synth into their music. Due to this experimentation, their approach can be quite challenging to get into; however, their innovation and bold creativeness has always pushed the boundaries of black metal, resulting in albums that sound unlike anything else.
They return with their seventh full-length album Confusion Gate, their longest and most ambitious offering to date. Listeners embark on an epic mountainous journey that traverses its way through unpredictable songs caught between an unforgiving sense of abrasive dissonance and beautiful melody, while capturing a range of emotions and immersive soundscapes. They push boundaries further than they've ever done before, while still maintaining their distinctive raw blackened sound. Many hidden treasures lie deep within, waiting to be revealed to any patient listener.
The album's concept, reflected in the cover art, follows that of the previous album Master's Murmur (2023), with lyrics often being quoted and rephrased from that record. There are three shadowy wraiths that the traveller must face on their journey up the Mountain: the first stands on the Mountain's crest, peering on unwary travellers who ascend upon it; the second floats down towards the Earth at night, yearning for a familiar light; the third, an avatar of time itself, stands guard at the gate on the Mountain's misty summit. Many obstacles lie ahead for listeners on this treacherous journey, as they travel closer to the grasp of each mysterious malevolent wraith. I'm not entirely sure what the intentions of these wraiths are, and this is the same in regard to the music; it's dark, disturbing, and mystifyingly powerful, a journey that's highly intriguing in its unpredictability.
There are familiarities between this album and those prior to it, both conceptually and musically; however, various original ideas, from a greater use of synth and industrial elements, to medieval folk instruments and greater emphasis on atmosphere, result in a compellingly different approach in songwriting. With a runtime over twice the length of the previous album, the song structures also have a greater level of diversity and add more emotional depth. The raw black metal sound is still at the very core, with thundering blast beats, semi-melodic tremolos, and tortuous shrieks.
These elements only act as a foundation, though, as the dynamic song structures take you through intense build-ups that suddenly break into unforgiving chaotic dissonance, which may then suddenly calm into organic neofolk characterized by the use of wind instruments and acoustic strings. Additionally, dungeon synths and atmoblack influences help shape the album's otherworldly and immersive atmospheres. To accompany the harsh vocals are eerie angelic female whispers, sinister theatrical narrations, and what sounds like demonic male ritualistic chants, all of which feature spontaneously in the background, and each vocal style seems to resemble one of the wraiths, echoing hauntingly through the mist descending upon the listener as they travel further up the mountain.
What's remarkable about Confusion Gate is the fact it pretty much features everything you can throw into a black metal album, as even by Yellow Eyes' standards, a lot of experimentation and original ideas have been incorporated, yet without managing to sound too over-the-top or taking unnecessary risks. This requires a good level of songwriting prowess, which proves just how much the band have evolved and matured over the years. I genuinely believe Confusion Gate blows everything the band has previously released out of the water, although there's simply too much to fully absorb from one sitting, so it will certainly require several patient spins to appreciate the fine art that's been crafted here. All I have to say is give it a go, and if it doesn't work the first time round, spin it again and who knows? It might just reveal a few of those hidden treasures the wraiths have been concealing from you on your mountainous journey.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 7 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written on 11.11.2025 by
Written on 11.11.2025 by
An honest review that you don't necessarily have to agree with. Comments
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I was never really into them but this album is really fucking good.
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Posts: 2803 Quote: I wholeheartedly agree! I think you did an amazing job throughout the review, working your way through to this conclusion. What I really like about this album is that it clearly has the USBM (Cascadian BM, ugh) DNA but is elevated from that, now-tired, sound with its songwriting (especially how the songs relentlessly progress and evolve) and eerie vibes. ´I find myself loving the album more and more with each subsequent listen.
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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