Review: SACRED GATE – “Creators of the Downfall” (EP)

Tracklist:
1. Creators of the Downfall
2. Burning Wings
3. Vengeance
4. Fight for the Cross…Die for Jerusalem (live)
5. The Realm of Hell (live)
6. Path to Glory (live)

Release Date: 24.09.2011 – self released

Sacred Gate ? Ok…first thing that told me…another band beginning their bandname with „Sacred“, like Sacred Blade, Sacred Oath, Sacred Steel and more. But that doesn’t mean automatically that the music sounds like dozens of other bands, sometimes behind a regular bandname there is hiding a jewel.

„Creators of the Downfall“ is the first EP from Sacred Gate, a band from germany formed back in 2008. The 4-piece played in different other bands before and their bio says their goal is to play timeless Heavy Metal. This EP contains 3 songs as appetizer for their debut coming in early 2012 which will be called „When Eternity Ends“ and 3 live songs. The studio takes then will also be parts of this upcoming first full length release.

We start with the EP’s title track. A melodic guitar melody line is fading in. Together with some guitar riffs and power drums the song is heading to a midtempo song influenced a little by Iron Maiden. Vocalist Jim Over owns a powerful metal shouting voice. Clean and aggressive combined.
Very catchy melodies and arrangements. Cool guitar solo by Nicko Nikolaidis rounds it up. Upper class power metal smasher. Well done !!

The beginning of „Burning Wings“ remembers a bit to Lizzy Borden. This song takes up more speed than the first track. Shredding and melodic guitar harmonies in alliance with…yes…Lizzy Borden vocals in deeper style. Also we find more hectic elements like 80’s US Bands like Omen used it. This song is based in old school modern produced. Jim Over proofs that he can perform with different vocals and this makes it interesting to the listener. For me as a big 80’s US Metal
fan perfect to listen.

Speed guitars to open „Vengeance“. The bass play of Peter Beckers appears more in front here. Like the songtitle promises it is time for screaming now. Bass and guitars are based again in Iron Maiden sounds. Vocal performance and arrangements deep based in the 80’s. If you listen to the guitars this is Dave Murray and Adrian Smith not in perfection but very near to them. Ok…innovations are missing, but this are not the worst references in metal business. A real refrain doesn’t exist in this song, it is more a shouting of „Vengeance“. Hardest song so far.

Now following are the three live songs. „Fight for the cross…die for Jerusalem“, „The Realm of Hell“and „Path to Glory“ all stand for the same style and sound like the studio tracks.
Iron Maiden guitar lines, old school US Metal vocals. The band proofs in those live tracks that they can transport their power also on stage.

Sacred Gate can keep the quality that they proclaim on their bandinfo. Well played power metal, good voice, musicians with high knowledge.
But I also must say that their style is lent too much from bands like Iron Maiden (main influence) and some old bands of the 80’s.
In the end this subtracts some points in the review’s result.

On the other side this EP wakes the interest for more and the upcoming full length.
With more own innovations Sacred Gate is good enough climbing the musical ladder soon.
Power Metal fans and Iron Maiden afficionados…risk your ears !!

Points 6,5 / 10

review by Kerbinator

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