Gatekeeper (Grey Maiden)
Crank this to 7.2 of 11
Released: 2019
Genre: Heavy Metal
Sounds Like: Gamma Ray, Manowar
Heavy metal newcomers Gatekeeper has released their second EP Grey Maiden. Hailing from Canada, the five-piece Power metal outfit draw influences from metal gods like Gamma Ray, Saxon and Manowar. Lead vocalist Jean Pierre Abboud was made for singing power metal, he has a clean, powerful and rustic tone and can really hold a fucking note. “Grey Maiden” kicks things off in typical power metal fashion, metal heads will rejoice over this one as it takes us back to the late 80s metal. “Tale of Twins” is a bit more dramatic, yet powerful, a good follow up to the opening cut that keeps us in the hold of their metal groove. The acoustic “Moss” is a nice tune, but it takes us out the metal flow too quickly, especially on a 4 track EP. The last cut “Richard III,” is a cover of Welsh 80s metal band Tredegar. They do the song justice as it’s a killer cover, the dueling guitars are spot on, we also hear a tad Maiden in here. These guys have a good sound and know how to play modern power metal without being cheesy.
Tracklist:
1. Grey Maiden - 4:43
2. Tale Of Twins - 6:08
3. Moss - 3:42
4. Richard III (TREDEGAR cover)- 5:49
Standout Track(s)
”Tale of Twins,” “Gray Maiden” and “Richard III”
Adult Beverage Pairing
Dragon’s Milk Reserve Orange Chocolate by New Holland Brewery in Michigan. The 11% (ABV) stout is a bold brew blended with orange peels and cocoa.
ROTATION RECAP:
Vocal Performance
8.3 of 11
Risk of Subwoofer Damage
7.4 of 11
Captivation and Variety
7.3 of 11
Weight of the Heavy
7.6 of 11
Rhythmic Pace
7.8 of 11
Lyrics and Song Structure
7.5 of 11
Fretwork Prowess
8 of 11
Overall Album Flow
7.2 of 11
Album Cover Aesthetic
8 of 11
Production Value
7.8 of 11
Final Thoughts
Gatekeeper will bring out the power metal fan in you. It’s a solid EP as we are longing for a full length in the near future. Until then, jump in and raise your fist to the almighty metal gods and crank this up.
Gatekeeper is:
Jean Pierre Abboud - Lead Vocals, Chorus
Geoff Blackwell - Rhythm/Lead Guitar, chorus
Kenny Kroecher - Lead/Rhythm Guitar
David Messier - Bass guitar, chorus
Tommy Tro - Drums
Follow Gatekeeper: Bandcamp / Facebook
