I promised myself a few things before reviewing this album, and one was not to get all, ‘sometimes you come across an album that really stands out…’ but here we are and here I am and I’m about to say it: Sometimes you come across an album that really stands out. And not just stand out for its genre, Nocturnal Gates by Freedom of Fear stands out for so many amazing reasons. It is an album/bands like this that give legitimacy to the Australian music scene.
The melding of a bunch of different genres with a distinctive Aussie bent.
This album is not unlike the creation of jewellery, savage in the heating and beating of metal, but beautiful and elegant in its final form. But enough fluff, let’s get to the nitty-gritty. Performance is impeccable. The guitar work is expertly executed, with a thinner tone (reminiscent of Psycroptic’s work) aiding precision. The bass has its moments in the sun, which is so great to hear. The drums are varied yet serve the tracks well and Monserrat’s vocal performance employs an amazing array of deep whispers to extremely distorted screams. I know I sound like a fanboy here (another promise that I have broken), but this album is something you feel more than you listen to. The clean interludes create a sense of intrigue, while the presence of a saxophone solo in The Consciousness of Misery was both unexpected and welcomed. Song structures are extremely varied while having some elements firmly rooted in the classic metal and melo-death traditions.
There is very little to dislike on this release, but as I write that I know some people that will see it as too melodic and floury; I for one embrace this like a goth kid embraces the rain. Suitable for those who know good bloody music when they hear it.
Release Year: 2019
Label: EVP Records
Category: album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Liam Frost-Camilleri
