Space, Rituals and Magick: Three recurring lyrical themes in metal since the genre’s inception, but also the title of the third and latest album from Finnish retro metal masters, Mausoleum Gate. For nearly 20 years, these old school sorcerers have been releasing music at their own pace, prioritizing quality over quantity. In an age now dominated by acts like Freeways, Hällas, Night, Flight, and countless others vigilantly bridging that gap between the hard rock of the ’70s and the traditional metal of the early ’80s, Mausoleum Gate were one of the first to do so. Now, 8 years since their last full length, they’ve returned to prove why they are perhaps the masters of their field.
Of the 6 songs that make up Space, Rituals and Magick, there is not a hint of filler to be found. Every song is the genuine article, strongly channeling the ’70s with its arcane atmosphere, hard-driving organs, and warm production, yet countering these tropes with hard-nosed NWOBHM tinged riffage and an underlying leather and studs-clad attitude. Heavy prog? Early metal? Magickal metal? There are many ways to describe this cross-generational approach, but for one who’s never laid their ears on Mausoleum Gate before, let me word it this way: Imagine what Ghost’s been trying to do, but it actually works.
The opening “Vision Divine” gets the album up and running at high speed, sound like what could’ve been if Ozzy Osbourne had replaced David Byron in Uriah Heep instead of John Lawton. New frontman Jarno Saarinen sounds eerily like the Ozzman, and it’s such a pleasure to not hear his vocal talents wasted on some drab doom act. Instead, he wails over songs like the hyper-melodic “Vision Divine”, or “Lucifer Shrine”, which despite its sinister title, prioritizes elements of late ’70s AOR and classic prog over devilish metal mania. These two barn burners are contrasted by the pastoral metal of “Sacred Be Thy Throne”, which tackles the Wishbone Ash formula of “heavy vs. gentle twin guitars” better than everyone’s favorite Wytch Hazel does.
The back half of the album follows largely in the same vein as the first, albeit without ever sounding dull or repetitive. “Shine the Night” is yet another late ’70s Heep prog-AOR mish mash with dare I say disco grooves? Don’t tell Steve Dahl, although I’m sure even the leader of the Insane Coho Lips could agree this doesn’t suck. The title track takes the crown for the most explicitly metallic of the bunch, walloping us across the face with a balls to the wall riff-o-geddon drawn from the well of Angel Witch and Diamond Head. It’s simple and straightforward for a band of this nature, but hits the spot and manages to stick out thanks to its spacey maneuvers. Rounding it all out, one last heavy prog suite in form of the hypnotic “Witches Circle”. Much like “Sacred”, the Wishbone Ash influences are strong with this one, especially in its delicate vocal delivery and blatant contrast of darkness and light.
Despite their near decade absence, Mausoleum Gate have returned with an album that’s equal in quality to their first two efforts, if not superior. Space, Rituals and Magick is bound to satisfy old school metalheads, burnout hard rockers, and prog geeks alike. The level of reverence shown towards rock and metal’s greatest era on this album is off the Richter scale, and the songs themselves are far more than mere pastiches of yesteryear. This is a band who boldly creates new excellence out of old timey sorcery, and has a blast doing so. Contrary to their moniker, Mausoleum Gate are anything but dead; they’re alive and well!
9 out of 10
Label: Cruz del Sur Music
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, Demon