Emerging from the heavy music underground in Louisville, Kentucky, Gates to Hell unleashes a furious blast of modern death metal on their latest release—a ten-track assault brimming with groove-soaked riffs, hardcore breakdowns, and high-velocity aggression. The record wastes no time establishing its sonic identity, delivering brutality with an unapologetically direct approach. But while the band demonstrates clear strengths in riff work and vocal power, their full-length still feels like a band wrestling with its artistic identity.

Right from the get-go, the opener “Rise Again” fires on all cylinders with blistering speed and thick, mechanical riffs. There’s a visceral energy to the drumming and a punch in the low-end that pulls listeners into the fray. Perhaps the most consistent weapon in Gates to Hell’s arsenal is the vocal performance—gritty, commanding, and emotionally varied. Whether barking over a blast beat or snarling through a breakdown, the vocals anchor each track with conviction.

Where the band really shines is in their riff writing. Tracks like “A Summoning” and “Crazed Killer” showcase a knack for crafting heavy, dissonant grooves that land somewhere between death metal's technical chaos and hardcore’s no-frills attitude. These moments elevate the record, delivering adrenaline-spiking sections that hit like a wrecking ball—especially when paired with the band’s signature chugging breakdowns.

However, not every cut lands with the same impact. Songs like “21 Sacraments” and “Next to Bleed” fall into a more predictable formula, recycling genre conventions without adding much flavor. While never outright bad, these tracks illustrate a key challenge facing the band: standing out in an increasingly crowded and innovative extreme metal scene. There’s a solid foundation here, but the album occasionally feels like it’s playing it too safe—leaning on familiar deathcore tropes instead of pushing boundaries.

One of the more divisive elements is the drum performance. Technically proficient and tightly executed, the drums provide a solid backbone. Yet their mechanical precision at times borders on sterile, especially in tracks where a more dynamic or human touch could’ve added emotional depth. Even during the record’s moodier detours—like the ambient interlude in “Weeping in Pain” or the haunting solo near the end of “Death Comes to All”—the drumming remains locked into a rigid grid, limiting the sonic texture these moments could otherwise explore.

The back half of the album offers some of its more memorable ideas. The closer “Fused With the Soil” is a standout, pairing swampy, low-end riffing with eerie samples in a way that evokes Carnifex or early Thy Art Is Murder. It’s one of the few moments where atmosphere is allowed to bloom. Similarly, “Locked Out” taps into a satisfying, almost nu-metal-adjacent bounce, bringing a cathartic breakdown that feels earned—even if the song itself is structurally minimal.

Perhaps the album’s greatest strength is its conciseness. Most tracks clock in under four minutes, keeping the energy high and the filler to a minimum. There’s no self-indulgent padding here; Gates to Hell is focused on impact, not indulgence. That said, the band’s brevity may also be holding them back. With such tight runtimes and linear song structures, there’s little room for experimentation, progression, or dynamic contrast—qualities that could help elevate their sound beyond the mosh pit.

In the end, Gates to Hell has delivered a solid, if not groundbreaking, slab of modern death metal. The energy is real, the riffs are heavy, and the vocals are a cut above. But the band still feels like it’s in the early stages of refining its voice. For all the aggression and technical competence, the album lacks those defining moments that linger in the memory long after the music stops. Still, the raw ingredients are all there—groove, presence, and passion. What’s needed now is a deeper artistic vision to match the fury.