AlbumsNovember 29, 201113,202 views

Demon Hunter Storm the Gates of Hell


Storm the Gates of Hell
01. Storm the Gates of Hell 02. Lead Us Home 03. Sixteen 04. Fading Away 05. Carry Me Down 06. A Thread of Light 07. I Am You 08. Incision 09. Thorns 10. Follow the Wolves 11. Fiction Kingdom 12. The Wrath of God
2007 Solid State Records
Our score 4

11/27/2007

If 2005's The Triptych saw a few Demon Hunter fans quietly concerned that their band was vying for more commercial success, those fears are confirmed on Storm the Gates of Hell. The title track sees the band peddling the same brand of nu-metalcore they always have. Ryan Clark offers up a solid round of barking and snarling while Don Clark and Ethan Luck thrash away with some passable riffing. The song is tight, fast and I wasn't reaching for the eject button yet. The second track sees Demon Hunter sliding (further) into fruitless mediocrity as they lapse into a hybrid of generic metalcore and bland, uninspired post-grunge. On "A Thread of Light" and "I Am You," the work isn't entirely dismal. In these cases, a more diverse sonic palette augments the chugging breakdowns and doesn't bore one to tears; the inclusion of lap steel on "Follow the Wolves" managed to surprise me for a few seconds. The opening of "Fiction Kingdom" actually had enough ferocity to recapture my attention for a few seconds. The solo capping off "The Wrath of God" isn't half-bad either. Unfortunately, these tracks are exceptions to the rule, and a significant percentage of the album shifts from stale metalcore chugging to staler Breaking Benjamin-styled crooning. It's the constant shifting between different shades of mediocrity that eclipse whatever momentum the band is able to muster. It's evident that Demon Hunter are passionate about what they're doing. It's just that their often stale songwriting utterly cripples whatever impact they're striving for. Bottom Line: I can understand embracing some pop sensibilities, or playing with more melodic vocals because it works within the confines of the album. In this case, though, the results are too uniformly mediocre to produce anything but a tiresome drudge of an album. Fans of the band's previous releases might find a bit to enjoy here, but (God help me) I'm having a hard time imagining that.

54 comments

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strongereveryday_ 11/27/2007 9:02:13 PM

FIRST?

godless_ 11/27/2007 9:10:11 PM

God awful band

james_ 11/27/2007 9:11:32 PM

terrible band and review

anonymous 11/27/2007 9:49:48 PM

This really was a terrible review. and band sucks

A K U M A _ 11/27/2007 10:02:25 PM

What a terrible review, try and think of another word for 'mediocre', gay.

Fur_Beach_ 11/27/2007 10:03:29 PM

C -

ravenbmx_ 11/27/2007 10:06:44 PM

rating it a 4 is generous. i would give this shit a two. All the songs are terrible with the exception of sixteen because Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice does guest vocals.

grudgecityhxc_ 11/27/2007 10:58:38 PM

I'll show you lap steel...

ugly_old_guy_ 11/27/2007 11:07:20 PM

why is this band even being reviewed on here? no one cares and if you do you have shitty ass gay f*cking taste in music

btmktc_ 11/27/2007 11:47:22 PM

f*ck that. Happens to every Solid State band.

Mike _ 11/28/2007 12:27:43 AM

First 3 Living Sacrifice albums on Rex are up there with Malevolent Creation. f*ck Solid State in 2007.

hotaction_ 11/28/2007 12:46:21 AM

i never understood this band. have people ever liked them?

Joe Demon Hunter_ 11/28/2007 12:52:36 AM

OOOH, you don't like our music! boo f*cking hoo. Cry me a river fanboy. We have more talent in our little finger than you do in your whole body. What band do you play for tough guy? huh? probably some bull shit in flames rifoff. gays.

robot_wheelchair_ 11/28/2007 1:14:53 AM

What a stupid f*cking band.

xeatshitx_ 11/28/2007 1:19:04 AM

To be in Demon Hunter, you have to suck Brandon Ebel dck. Look at this bands lineup, everyone in it has been tooth and nails bitch for the the last decade.

frank_ 11/28/2007 2:56:07 AM

how do these "reviewers" get jobs? it is obvious this guy neither majored in english nor creative writing in college ....thus the reason he writes like a 14 year old trying desperately to finish up a research paper on some european explorer the night before the due date. anyway, this band and solidstate are jokes ...as is their faith.

Statestheobvious_ 11/28/2007 4:15:35 AM

This is a particularly shitty review

I_AM_FUCK_ 11/28/2007 6:55:01 AM

English, motherf*cker; do you speak it?

dave_ 11/28/2007 9:45:36 AM

this band was just a gimmick setup by solid state to make lots of $$$ and the young 13 year old kids who aren't allowed to buy slayer can buy this. its marketing to a an age group and capitalizing on the christian market as well. thats how I have always viewed the band.

dave_ 11/28/2007 9:45:36 AM

this band was just a gimmick setup by solid state to make lots of $$$ and the young 13 year old kids who aren't allowed to buy slayer can buy this. its marketing to a an age group and capitalizing on the christian market as well. thats how I have always viewed the band.

Xavier_ 11/28/2007 9:55:26 AM

read the guy's resume...he has a masters in english....wow! u.s. school system sucks if this guy with a masters in english can't even write a decent review of a metalcore album on a lame website! hahhahaha

Dave Peters_ 11/28/2007 11:16:05 AM

*wears Demon Hunter shirt all the time*

Ryan Clark_ 11/28/2007 12:18:35 PM

Boo f*cking Hoo you gays don't like our music. I am sure that you can not even comprehend what it takes to make it in the nu-metal music scene these days. We bust our asses day and night to create music that our fanz like and enjoy and we won't be swayed by the rantings of a few pussies who are not even old enough to get into the bars we play. My momma always said: Eat a dck or play hard. We are obviously playing hard

putrescent_ 11/28/2007 2:41:49 PM

you might think i don't see past your blatant hypocrisy demon hunter members, but i am not some blindly hate spewing misogynist teenager. you are no better than any of these kids, reinforcing your own rhetoric from a position of "influence." your attempts at faceless intimidation are pathetic. good luck with that whole judgment at the end times that you so zealously await. i'm sure commercial exploitation of your god will be well received. honestly, i do not know what keeps your shell of

arty_mcfarty_ 11/28/2007 3:56:50 PM

My momma always said: Eat a dck or play hard. We are obviously playing hard l0lz

Jamey Demon Hunter_ 11/28/2007 4:32:47 PM

You f*cking blasphemyhead. You don't know the first thing about nu-metal; we put a lot of time and effort into this CD, and it's one of the godliest releases of the year. We better not catch you around at any shows, because if my congregation sees you, you'll wish you never got out of bed that day. Oh, and to everyone who actually PRAYS for this record, listen up! Thanks to everybody who bought it already but for those who have not been able to find it, try TARGET, yes TARGET is stocking it for

xdivisivex_ 11/28/2007 6:01:23 PM

^ legit? ahahhaha

"Truth"_ 11/28/2007 6:26:15 PM

Here you can read the lyrics of "Storm The Gates Of Hell" including song meanings: http://www.bandsonfire.com/spip.php?article1045

yourewakingup_ 11/28/2007 9:21:33 PM

this review sounds like it was written by a 13 year old with a thesaurus in one hand and a copy of decibel in the other

lol_ 11/28/2007 9:29:54 PM

At least this time he didn't spew any epic, error-filled run-on sentences like "Fans of hardcore looking for something trying something new while trying to stay true to the original aesthetics of punk can probably find a few refreshing moments among the debris as Fight Pretty occasionally manage to thrash themselves into fleshing out a couple of decent ideas on Rewiring the Human Body, but a lot of the songs either end too soon to develop the ideas fully or wind up an ineptly integrated mishmash

mstevens_ 11/29/2007 12:31:51 PM

why did they even review this. Everyone knows it sucks.

Ryan Clark _ 11/29/2007 1:02:25 PM

lambgoat sucks. our new cd is the best album in the last 25 years. i am sorry if none of you can see that, but it beats anything you all listen to. i'm going to make sure lambgoat never get another solid state disc to review. our scene is dying because stupid websites like this.

!_ 11/29/2007 1:26:23 PM

Solid State's scene is dying?! Thank god!

Brandon Ebel_ 11/29/2007 1:52:50 PM

this is my cash cow baby.. praise his holy name!

j-dog_ 11/29/2007 3:50:06 PM

i seriously hope the real ryan clark ain't this delusional and ego-centric. but judging from how the he went from something as awesome as training for utopia to some mediocre shit like demon hunter, i can only assume the worst.

Johnny 5_ 11/29/2007 6:17:59 PM

ya I hope that isn't actually the dude from the band, as there is nothing more pathetic than not being able to take criticism. oh yes, and they do certainly suck balls.

dave grohl_ 11/29/2007 7:16:16 PM

this band makes me never want to go to the pacific northwest again.

Obed_ 11/29/2007 9:16:09 PM

DH = suck. And not Darkest Hour...

ryan Clark _ 11/29/2007 10:31:19 PM

are you calling me pathetic? seriously i would like to inform you that you are the one that is pathetic. i made the best record in the last 25 years. i am better then you and i am definitely better then lambgoat. btw, tfu was great but i left because i knew DH would be better. BUt i WAs wrong, i AM in the best band EVEr!!!!! and lambgoat.

veraiconicaLINY_ 11/29/2007 11:20:16 PM

I'm so glad I decided to read the Rewiew Comments on a whim. I feel blessed to know that Demon Hunter as a whole, besides being talentless, are pathetic gays who argue with random internet dwellers. Did you really think everyone would praise your new self proclaimed "best cd in 25 years"? Which by the way I wouldn't even use to break up weed on... I saw your video on the gospel channel (accidently, of course) but I watched as you humiliated yourselves and pretended like writing that song too

fuckthisband_ 11/30/2007 2:03:14 AM

god DAMN these comments are gay.

yar matey_ 11/30/2007 9:29:23 AM

Those comments are obviously not from the band. Their site is demonhunter.net, not .com. Bad email addresses. Dayamn you people are gullible.

ryan Clark _ 11/30/2007 12:26:12 PM

what R YOU TALKING ABOUT?!? I AM THE REAL RYAN CLARK. IDIOT. I WOULD NEVER GIVE A WAY MY REAL EMAIL ADDRESS BUT YOU CAN REST ASSURE THAT I AM THE REAL RYAN CLARK. THE ONE THAT SANG FOR FOCIAL POINT, PLAYED GUITAR IN TFU, AND SINGS FOR DEMON HUNTER. IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, YOU CAN sck a dck

j-dog_ 11/30/2007 3:28:53 PM

see, now i know those comments are fake. ryan clark was the GUITARIST for focal point and the VOCALISTS for tfu. someone must be bored. (of course, that doesn't say much for me.)

God_ 11/30/2007 6:57:46 PM

This band does not represent me.

piecemaker_ 12/1/2007 3:36:54 PM

anyone who at any time believed those posts to be legit are complete retards. i mean come on now.

Ryan Clark_ 12/1/2007 3:46:30 PM

I'm Retard, sir. Thank You

Ryan Clark_ 12/1/2007 3:47:45 PM

btw, god isn't christian enough for my band

XcableXguyX_ 12/5/2007 12:16:46 PM

Keep god out of hardcore.

eatshit_ 12/5/2007 1:47:38 PM

keep larry the cable guy out of hardcore

XcableXguyX_ 12/5/2007 2:33:10 PM

Krishna and buddha too. And the towel guy.

demonhunterfan_ 12/6/2007 6:57:47 PM

i have to say ryan was rit. u guys r gay. u think ur so cool bcause you listen to whtever, well let me tell you that my youth pastor say you all gonna burn in hell. devils. DM r totally trying to reach u and u reject them. seriously this cd is da best thang i ver heard. ya'll should also listen to da sic band, with blood comes cleansing!

XcableXguyX_ 12/13/2007 6:35:09 PM

f*ck bands with three names. "Blood something something" or "heaven something something" Quit with your stupid overdramatic names that look good on girls t-shirts. Nice crow and blood splatters gays.

JT_ 1/2/2008 12:56:15 PM

In my opinion this is one of the best cd's of the year. You are all entitled to your opinion but if you don't listen to them then why bother commenting? If you don't believe what they believe that's fine, but to rip a band just because of their beliefs is sad.