Despite the band splitting up earlier this year, the
third album from German group Sacred Gate was released just last month on Metal
On Metal Records. Though branded as power metal, Sacred Gate has more in common
with similarly labeled bands on the West side of the Atlantic Ocean than they
do with countrymen Helloween or Gamma Ray. “Countdown To Armageddon” more
closely resembles USPM bands like Jag Panzer or Attacker. This record contains
an unending flow of charging riffs designed to energize even the tamest of
crowds. For the near-one hour runtime, Sacred Gate rarely relents. They mostly
offer a slightly upbeat tempo, relying on syncopated, downpicked riffs. Many of
these riffs are variations on the “2 Minutes To Midnight” riff (among others),
where the band will hit a power chord, chug a few notes on the E or A string,
and then repeat. At times, it does feel like a bit much because almost every
song has several of these riffs, and you can predict them before you even hear
them. Regardless, it’s easy to appreciate the band’s enthusiasm, as the songs
at the end of the record have as much energy as those that kick things off.
To complement these rocking songs, Sacred
Gate has an impressive vocalist who utilizes an upper range with plenty of
power. He doesn’t hit a ton of screams, but he sings each line with tremendous authority,
also utilizing plenty of vibrato. The band’s clean approach makes it fairly
easy to remember a lot of the songs on this record even after just a few listens.
Both “Hellriders” and “Sacred Gate” immediately come across as being some of
the stronger cuts, but similar to bands like Motorhead or Iron Savior, Sacred
Gate’s sound is so consistent that there are no truly weak songs.
As good of a record as “Countdown To
Armageddon” is, it tends to roll on into monotony. There’s no real variety in
tempo or style. That would be ok if this record were sub-40 minutes, but as it
stands, it can be a difficult listen. A couple of high-speed shredders would do
the band a lot of good, as would cutting 2 or 3 songs. Still, there is an
abundance of cool melodies, hard-hitting riffs, and great solos, meaning that “Countdown
To Armageddon” is still a very worthwhile listen, just not necessarily one that
will obtain a ton of repeat plays.
Highlights
"Hellriders"
"Sacred Gate"
Final Rating
3.6/5 or 72%.
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