THE GATES OF SLUMBER · Like Plague Upon The Land | SPLATTER LP

Green/grey splatter vinyl. Limited edition.

Background information about 'Like Plague Upon The Land'

The Gates of Slumber never needed to shout to be heard. On "Like a Plague Upon the Land", the 2005 EP that finally gets its long-overdue vinyl pressing, Indiana's doom legends sound like they crawled straight out of a 1970s basement with a stack of Saint Vitus and Reverend Bizarre records under one arm. This is traditional, slow, crushingly heavy doom in its purest form — no frills, no modern polish, just riffs that drag you down like quicksand and a groove that refuses to let go.

There is a raw, almost feral authenticity to this EP that hits differently from the band's later, more polished work. Karl Simon's voice carries that world-weary, smoke-stained weight that makes doom feel lived-in rather than performed, while the rhythm section lumbers forward with the patience of a glacier. Every track feels like a statement of intent from a band that understood the genre's roots better than almost anyone else on the scene at the time. It is punchy, it is honest, and it absolutely nails the 70s rock-influenced doom blueprint that the band would go on to perfect.

This reissue on Svart Records marks the first time this fan favorite has ever been available on vinyl, and it is long overdue. For anyone who worships at the altar of slow, heavy, and true, "Like a Plague Upon the Land" is essential — a vital piece of the puzzle in the history of American doom metal.

For fans of:
Reverend Bizarre, Saint Vitus, Pentagram, Trouble, Candlemass

Other Versions

BLACK LP · 26,99 €

Track listing

A1. Iron Hammer
A2. The Leech
B1. Feast Of The Dead
B2. Ask No More
B3. Stitched Back From Deth

Manufacturer: Oy Svart Musik Ab, Saippua Center, Ruissalontie 12C, laituri O, 20200 Turku, Finland, Contact: www.svartrecords.com