Tag: gatekeeper

SANHEDRIN To Issue Sophomore Album ‘The Poisoner” In February

Enrico


Brooklyn metallers SANHEDRIN will release their sophomore album, “The Poisoner”, on February 22 via Cruz Del Sur Music. Recorded in August and September of this year at Menegroth, The Thousand Caves with Colin Marston at the helm, “The Poisoner” features eight songs of timeless, classy heavy metal that picks up where the band’s acclaimed “A Funeral For The World” debut left off, with an array of big riffs, catchy vocals and explorations into darker territory than before.

“We had no idea how that record would be received when we released it,” begins guitarist Jeremy Sosville, also of BLACK ANVIL. “We knew we were proud of it, but the response from the greater public was quite surprising and humbling. Since then, we’ve been able to play some great shows and really learn what makes our band unique and build on that.”

SANHEDRIN, who also feature former AMBER ASYLUM and LOST GOAT vocalist/bassist Erica Stoltz and drummer Nathan Honor, used ideas that date back to the formation of the band for “The Poisoner” in addition to songs that were written around the time of “A Funeral For The World’s” release. The overriding goal, however, was to have an album ready in time for their European live debut next March alongside labelmates GATEKEEPER.

“I think all three of us progressed quite a bit as individual players as well as learning to maximize our roles as a collective,” says Sosville. “The approach is unique for every song, but it normally starts with me bringing in some riffs that work well together. Erica usually comes up with a vocal line and all three of us convene until we’re all happy with the final result. A very important aspect we pay attention to is how all the songs flow together. It’s a crucial element to any great record. We certainly did not want to write the same album a second time but we did not want to forsake what makes us SANHEDRIN either. Overall, I think this record is a little darker and a little meaner.

A distinctive element of SANHEDRIN is their thought-provoking lyrics, many of which that go deeper than metal’s often fantasy and allegory-based themes. On “The Poisoner”, SANHEDRIN addresses real-world themes that can be seen virtually every day in the news. “A lot of the album is about the destructive and chaotic side of human nature,” says Stoltz. “The thirst for power, living in a world slipping into a surreal soup of archaic ideas and advanced technology.”

After an active 2018 that saw SANHEDRIN share the stage with the likes of EYEHATEGOD, THE OBSESSED, CAULDRON, WITCH MOUNTAIN and SABBATH ASSEMBLY (among others), the band is preparing for an even bigger live assault in 2019 behind “The Poisoner”.

“I hope that the people who support us already are as proud of this record as we are and that we can gain some new supporters with this new material,” wraps Sosville. “We work really hard to make music we believe in, so it’s gratifying when you can reach more people with it and bring them along for the journey. We’re not the biggest band out there, but the people who do follow us have been extremely positive and supportive. We’re really grateful for that. I’m probably most excited at the prospect of bringing these songs to as many stages as we can in 2019.”

 

“The Poisoner” track listing:

Meditation (All My Gods Are Gone)
Wind On The Storm
Blood From A Stone
The Poisoner
The Getaway
For The Wicked
Saints And Sinners
In From The Outside

GATEKEEPER: ‘East Of Sun’ CD And LP First Pressings Sold-Out; Western Canada Dates On The Horizon

Enrico

Apparently, GATEKEEPER’s “East Of Sun” debut album — released in April via Cruz Del Sur Music — has been exactly what the classic/power metal scene has been looking for. The Canadians, led by founding member/guitarist Geoff Blackwell and rounded out by vocalist Jean-Pierre, lead guitarist Kenny Kroecher, bassist David Messier and drummer Tommy Tro, have been hailed by Heavy Blog Is Heavy as “The real deal when it comes to the upfront nature of heavy metal,” while Metal Temple says “This is a dynamic album that follows the fervent spirit of heavy metal to the razor’s edge.” The metal buying public has responded in kind — the first CD and LP pressings of “East Of Sun” have already sold out.

As Blackwell explains, 2018 has been a year of huge growth for GATEKEEPER, including many “firsts” for the band—first full-length album, first music video, first appearance in a print magazine and first performance in Europe. “It’s been a wild ride indeed,” he explains. “We’ve had a very heart-warming reception to the record. Lots of great feedback and it’s interesting to see which songs stick out to people the most. The record took a lot of time and a lot of work and stress to finish. We sometimes talk about things we would change about it or elements that we weren’t entirely satisfied with, so seeing all the positive reactions makes it feel worthwhile and helps us see the bigger picture.”

For a band that was formed in 2009 as a way for Blackwell to teach himself how to play guitar, GATEKEEPER’s fast start out of the gate has taken the guitarist by surprise: “On a practical level, I expected that the album would generally be well-received, but I was worried that it might get lost in the shuffle of new music that is constantly coming out. In any case, I did not expect to sell about 120 albums through our pre-order campaign and I didn’t expect the record to sell out in less than a month. And the news that the CD edition is close to being sold out was a huge surprise. If you told me that this was going to happen five years ago then I might not have believed you.”

One of the highlights

 

of 2018 thus far for GATEKEEPER was their May appearance at Germany’s legendary Keep It True festival. Playing alongside the likes of FLOTSAM & JETSAM, CEREBUS, RAVEN, SARACEN and IRONFLAME, GATEKEEPER was quickly introduced to the glory and majesty of the European festival scene. Not surprisingly, the band immediately connected with the always-demanding Keep It True faithful.

“We spent a grand total of three days in Germany, which the average North American person considers insane,” notes Blackwell. “The festival was excellent. I got to meet a lot of ‘Facebook pen pals,’ some of whom have been following the band since our first demo. We also made some great contacts for future trips and I ate the best schnitzel I’ve ever tasted. Oh yeah, our set was pretty good too! People seemed extremely enthusiastic and I was very happy with the response. We can’t wait to return!”

Up next for GATEKEEPER is a series of live dates that will take the band throughout Western Canada, with the band hitting up new and old territories along the way. Comments Blackwell: “We’re really excited toplay with our friends in RIOT CITY and ROAD RASH this summer, and, we’ll be returning to Prince George and our hometown of Edmonton for some more action, plus our first-ever appearance in Abbotsford, which is a city we’ve been trying to book for years now. Canada is full of small, remote towns and playing them can be tricky to book and promote, but they are often full of people who love rock music and they deserve a chance to see live bands as much as anyone else.”

Furthermore, Blackwell promises a “very special surprise” to be announced closer to the end of the year, along with a possible return to Europe in 2019. And, perhaps best of all, it appears some new material is in the works: “We are writing tunes for the second album, plus all manner of fresh content. I’m currently working on a video series of guitar lessons aired through our social media networks so that anyone can learn how to play our songs and people can get more detailed insight into my songwriting process.”

GATEKEEPER upcoming live dates:

 

July 14 – Armstrong Metal Fest – Armstrong, British Columbia

August 04 – Shred The Loops Festival – Kamloops, British Columbia
August 17 – Pub 340 – Vancouver, British Columbia

August 31 – TBA – Abbotsford, British Columbia
September 01 – The Legion – Prince George, British Columbia
September 02 – The Industry House – Edmonton, Alberta