Customer Reviews

To Gates of Blasphemous Fire

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album should appeal to every blackmetal fan everywhere. I don't care what others say, this is far more brilliant than "Goat Horns". In fact, this album is one of the best in my collection. The sound is absolutely brutal, and there is a feeling of pure darkness throughout the whole recording. The guitars buzz like saws, and the drums pound into your chest like hammers. In my opinion, Munruthel (drums) is a force to be reckoned with, him being one of my top choices for drummers in the scene. Knjaz Varggoth (guitar, vocals) is a genius when it comes to songwriting, and his vocals are painful, sometimes reminding me of Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir. There is even some use of a tambourine in "On the Moonlight Path", which actually gives the song some character. The sleeve layout is very professional, and shows what looks to be paintings of the six corpsepainted figures. Underneath the actual CD, you will find a painting of Varggoth himself in the forest holding an axe, which adds a nice touch to the whole atmosphere. This album is pure evil, go out and buy it...now.

this is NOT like their last album. fast, brutal. guitars up front, 2 keyboards are in the background. kinda leans in the direction of emperor. initially it is hard to understand what is going on, but with every liten the brilliance of this work slowly reveals itself.

Although I haven't heard much of the other Nokturnal Mortum cds, I know that many consider Goat Horns and Nechrist to be much better than this. This is currently my only NM cd but I do plan to purchase their others because this cd is so good. The production isn't that bad and it gives the songs a nice raw brutal edge to them. There are some folk elements on a couple of the songs and that really adds a nice touch to the blackmetal genre. It is hard for me to find any complaints with this cd except that the songs on the first half of the cd are a little bit better than those of the second half. This cd also doesn't really contain any of that nazi stuff so don't be turned off by that. Overall, a very good cd that is easily worth your purchase especially considering it is pretty cheap nowadays.

The main issue I have with this album is that it lacks the creativity that makes Nokturnal Mortum one of the most, if not the most, unique black metal bands in the genre. As opposed to their other albums, which are a rich combination between traditional black metal, Ukrainian folk music, and atmospheric undertones, this album is more akin to to the works of Dimmu Borgir, Old Man's Child, Graveworm, and Cradle of Filth. This is not a bad thing; in fact, I highly enjoy those bands I mentioned. However, I find the sound of this album unappealing. To put it in layman's terms, something does not "click".

My advice is to stick NM's other works. My personal recommendation is "Weltanschauung", especially the Russian version. It is, in my opinion, the greatest album in metal history.

I bought all the NM (at least up that point) cds at once and listened to them in order. I listened to this one a few times, but it wasnt really compelling to me upon repeated listens.

I like to keep an open mind, and i do enjoy lots of different kinds of music. This is pretty much basic black metal that you could hear from any hundreds of bands. Nokturnal Mortum have much more talent than those other bands, so why they decided to be just like them with this album just boggles my mind.

If true black metal is what you really really love, then you'll probably dig this. I would personally recommend Goat Horns, Lunar Poetry and if you can find it Weltanschauung.

I don't know Goat Horns, but I think it's a well-done album. Not very original; they play the same music as Limbonic Art (or Dimmu, but faster). What I like is the slavian musical effects sometimes. The sound could be better, but enjoyable. It's nice to hear it, however nothing special or very orgiginal. The best tracks are: On The Moonlight Path, and Under the Banners of Horned Knjaz.

I absolutely worship Nokturnal Mortum and I praise all of their releases. But To The Gates....is a special album that will be tough to duplicate. Everything on this album, from the lyrics, to the songwriting is PERFECT. Goathorns was incredible but you can't compare that album to this one or to any NM album for that matter. Varggoth is a genius in creating that unique atmosphere for each release. Goathorns was intended to be a more melodic album and it definitely grabbed the attention of more mainstram listeners. To the Gates is a no-nonsense album that exhumes evil, rawness, hate, anger, fury..but at the same time is very melodic to me. When I listen to this album, i have the feeling of going into battle, the atmosphere is simply incredible. This album takes awhile to grasp because unlike Goathorns, the keyboards and melody is not at the forefront, but it is hidden away beneath layers of intense musical mayhem...But once you understand the purpose of this album and get Goathorns out of your head, you will realize that this album is a CLASSIC for the ages. Anybody that downgrades this album as being less than Goathorns, simply DOES NOT appreciate black metal in its purest form. Go BUY THIS ALBUM, but do not compare it to other NM releases.

It wasn't a bad album per se, although I expected much better from Nokturnal Mortum, having previously released "Goat Horns." Goat Horns was what made them unique. It was more melodic, and had a distinctive celtic-sounding background, which blended quite nicely with black metal. "To the Gates..." sounds like it could've been released recently by any of a thousand black metal bands. Although it lacked their defining character, with less of the medieval/celtic, sometimes oriental sound, it's an okay album if you're looking for something more more like the traditional Dimmu Borgir/Emperor/Dark Funeral style. Otherwise, I'd recoommend Goat Horns over this album, as something different, unique, and much more original and creative.

Goat Horns is much better buy that one. This one sounds more commercial