This is the debut EP from Sacred Gate, who play traditional Heavy Metal with plenty of NWOBHM stylings. This EP is half studio songs and half live cuts, and the quality on the studio songs is pretty solid. The recording is a little rough, but in a good way, and the bands keeps the guitars upfront and heavy. They have an easy, catchy riff style and vocalist Jim Over has a strong, tough voice that carries the tunes without using a bunch of effects and overdubs.
Live tracks on EPs are something I am wary of, as they are often horribly-recorded and only there to pad out the running time on a disc. On the other hand, they give a real idea of what a band can do without extra takes and studio polishing. I have to say Sacred Gate sound pretty good. They are loose but stay together, with a lot of energy. The recording isn't too bad and the singer hits all the notes. These are straight-up metal songs that sound good in a live recording, and so they don't come off as filler.
So Sacred Gate are not A-list by any means, but they have the right idea, and this is a strong EP that speaks well for their future. A band to watch.
