This act came out of the weeds. I didn't know about them until they were right in front of my face. Mausoleum Gate, formed in 2009 in Savo (specifically Kuopio) Finland, has really made things happen lately with the band's 6-track self-titled full-length studio album. Having listened to Mausoleum Gate a couple of dozens times within the past two weeks, I can clearly understand why their sound appeals to metal maniacs around the world. You can't get much more old school Heavy Rock and Metal than this.

First off, it needs be said that the Mausoleum Gate dudes love their early Scorpions, early Deep Purples, Uriah Heeps, early Priests, early Maidens and all that classic evergreen stuff. Their sound is stripped down, effective, mysterious, epic and, at times, beautifully Hammond-driven. They have truly done their homework on both 70's and early 80's Heavy Rock/Metal music very carefully. There's just no way that you could possibly sound this amazingly convincing otherwise. I could throw superlatives in the air all day, one after another, to describe all the joy and pleasure this album brings. Mausoleum Gate is like the brightest gemstones in the Queen's crown, metaphorically speaking. This needs to be heard to believe they exist. One could say this style died out around the mid 70s when Deep Purple released Burn in 1974 or when Judas Priest released Sad Wings of Destiny in 1976 or maybe right after Scorpions put out their debut album Lonesome Crow in 1972? Didn't the truly old school sound vanish a long time ago? Not if Mausoleum Gate has anything to say about it.

Totally awe-inspiring and absolutely perfect stuff here. 'Nuff said.