Artist: Spellgate
Country: Finland
Label: Self-released
Formats: Digital
Year: 2025
From Finland hails the entity of Spellgate, a rather mysterious band of which we know that E.P. runs the entire show and that their debut eponymous album has just been released. And a melancholic, dissonant brand of atmospheric Black Metal is what we are served.
‘I’ sets of the mood with quiet atmospheric riffs that build into a quick drum pace. Key here is a simple, somewhat repetitive melody that dictates most of the atmosphere. Combined with snarling vocals, the variation is initially rather minimal but then takes a different, more dark and melancholic twist. Central are multiple layers of guitars that don’t necessarily always align, creating a somewhat twisted duet of melodies. With these at times contradicting layers, pulled up notes and nervous drums, the music has a distinctive dissonant character that reminds me of Sinmara, although Spellgate is comparatively more focused on atmosphere. Despite its 9 minutes of play length, ‘I’ is an intriguing opener with plenty of melancholy. The subsequent ‘II’ is a little bit more epic in undertone, but also twists as it progresses. The creeping pace at times is gnarly, enhanced by a sense of atonality in the riffs, but the music then catches you off guard as the drum pace quickens and a nasty pull-up riff appears. This urgency persists as we progress to ‘III’, a song with contradictory guitar layers and an uncomfortable atmosphere. Not necessarily bleak in appearance, the song just rubs the wrong way, in a positive manner. ‘IV’ is the epitome of atonality and dissonance of the record, draped upon a canvas of unrelenting drums. And when we arrive at final track ‘V’ the twisted, yet simple melodies provide beauty in an overall contorted formula. With melancholic melodies leading the way into a subtle solo, the song may not be as eerie as its predecessor, but twists and turns just as much. Once again an example of how Spellgate manages to balance the unerving with the beautiful on their debut album.
E.P. has done a rather splendid job combining the howling melodic accents, atonal pull-ups and dissonant layers into an atmospheric whole. With the snarling vocals and the at times volatile drums, ‘Spellgate’ is an intense and skincrawling affair, fit for those that long for atmospheric Black Metal of the uglier, unsettling kind. Impressive debut for sure!
