The Metal Crypt on Facebook  The Metal Crypt's YouTube Channel
Review: Gatekeeper - East of Sun
Gatekeeper
www.facebook.com/GatekeeperBand
East of Sun

Label: Cruz Del Sur Music
Year released: 2018
Duration: 57:09
Tracks: 10
Genre: Heavy Metal

Rating:
3.75/5


Review online: August 18, 2018
Reviewed by: MetalMike
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 4/5 (80%) (21 Votes)
Review

East of Sun is the debut full-length from Canada’s Gatekeeper and follows a number of EPs, splits and other assorted releases. The album opens with "Blade of Cimmeria", a blazing, Hibria-style track that had my foot tapping with its speed and infectious chorus. This song is an oddity as for the rest of East of Sun, Gatekeeper settle into a more epic mode with slower tempos and solemn atmospheres. The vocals are a bit strained as the singer tries to convey the appropriate gravitas but sometimes he sounds like he is past the limit of his range. The songwriting evokes the wide-open spaces and harsh landscapes you picture when reading Robert E. Howard but not much sticks around once the album is over. Gatekeeper includes a couple of covers; Omen’s "Death Rider" and Savatage’s "Hall of the Mountain King". Both are well done, especially "Hall" as the singer conjures Jon Oliva despite not having the same powerful voice. East of Sun is a good record, especially if you like Grand Magus, Atlantean Kodex and the like. It isn’t on the same level but definitely worth a listen.

More about Gatekeeper...
Review: East of Sun (reviewed by Bruno Medeiros)
Review: East of Sun (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: From Western Shores (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: From Western Shores (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Grey Maiden (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Prophecy and Judgement (reviewed by Omni)
Review: Prophecy and Judgement (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Retaliator / Vigilance (reviewed by Christopher Foley)
Interview with Jeff Black, Jean-Pierre Abboud and David Messier on April 29, 2017 (Interviewed by Omni)
Click below for more reviews
Latest 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Various Books/Zines 



The Metal Crypt - Crushing Posers Since 1999
Copyright  © 1999-2025, Michel Renaud / The Metal Crypt.  All Rights Reserved.