Crystal Gates – Torment and Wonder
Release Date: 29th July 2022
Label: Wormholedeath Worldwide
Bandcamp
Genre: Symphonic Metal, Melodic Metal.
FFO: Early Nightwish, EPICA, Within Temptation, Visions of Atlantis.
Review By: Mark Waight
Torment and Wonder is the beautiful new full-length debut album from Melodic/Symphonic Metal band Crystal Gates. The band were formed in Montevideo in Uruguay during 2013, but are now based in Riga, Latvia. The Crystal Gates line up is Benjamin Machin (Guitars), Carolina Perez (vocals), Guillermo Albano (bass), Gaston Lorenzo (Drums) and Juan Jose Leyton (Keyboards).
Torment and Wonder is a very welcome step back in time to the early days of Symphonic Metal, when everything was refreshing and new. The album is chock-full of beautiful operatic vocals, superb guitar playing and fantastic musical arrangements. There are no unnecessary grunts, growls or overplaying to fit the mould, this is just pure musical magic played exactly as it should be. If you love early Nightwish, Within Temptation, Visions of Atlantis or EPICA then this should certainly be on your shopping list as it’s every bit as good as anything created by the old masters!
The Ways of the Lonely Ones is a short orchestral introduction that sets out the stall for what is to come. My Glorious Fall is an absolute belter of an opening song which fills the room with rich sound and immediately took me right back to the first time I heard this genre of music. With my jaw still on the floor, Alive for the Journey begins, Carolina’s vocals are amazing, the tempo is quick, and the music has such depth in layers that you know you are in for a feast.
A Lonely Dreamers Wish is a much slower and deeply emotional song with wonderful harmonies and a nice subtle guitar solo that you will need to listen out carefully for. The Stars Temple is a very dramatic, cinematic piece of music with an authentic Eastern feel to it which will transport you away to another land or maybe a blockbuster film set somewhere. Moonshine and Sorrow is the superb single and video that Crystal Gates released recently to accompany the album, it fully highlights the depth of talent and quality there is within the band.
Winter Ghost is a much quicker, more old school metal sounding song with a much heavier feel to it, the vocals are anthem-like and coral, giving it that possibility to be a great closing of a gig number. Nightmares is my personal favourite track (a very difficult choice) because it has everything for me, a heavy fast bass, a great drumbeat, an excellent guitar solo, understated but clear keyboards and sublime pure vocal’s.
Soul of Rain is an echo back to those early days of symphonic metal, it is sweet nectar for the ears and a demonstration of just how this genre of music should sound – it totally rocks!
The closing and title track Torment and Wonder is a twelve-minute masterpiece that completes this musical work of art in style. It contains everything, a classical orchestral arrangement, a classical choral arrangement, divine operatic vocals, the obligatory guitar solo, lots of changes in speed and tempo driven by some cool keyboards, drumming and spot on bass playing to create an epic closing track of the highest quality.
Torment and Wonder by Crystal Gates is going to be right up there with the best releases of 2022 in the Symphonic/Melodic metal genres. It oozes class in a way that many similar bands may try to achieve, but only very few ever succeed.
(4.5 / 5)
Excelente me encantó el vídeo!