Metal Monday: Rapture Cabaret's Gates of Domination

posted in: Features • Reviews & Playlists

Rapture Cabaret have been a part of the upper-echelon of OurStage metal elite for quite some time, joining the site in March of 2008 and finishing in the Top 10 on the Metal Channel ten times. They even made the Best of the Best Rock Charts for five weeks, reaching Number 38. The band was pretty quiet during the first half of 2010, but in October they dropped a monster record called Gates of Domination that features a few OurStage favorites.

Rapture Cabaret has about as pure of a metal sound as you’ll find in modern metal bands. Reminiscent of the older, more raw Dark Tranquillity mixed with some thrash metal riffage and a sinister hint of Heaven Shall Burn, Gates of Domination showcases every tiny influence, drawing you into their fervent and deliberate sound.

Where this album truly shines is the lack of nonsense,  filler material. Though a bit short, clocking in at 28 minutes, the album is filled to the brim with music”once you hit the 45 second mark, your head won’t stop banging until you’ve reached the end. Each song is perfect for air drumming, air guitar playing or shouting along to ”whatever your pretend instrument of choice might be.

The production and mix of Gates of Domination sits at a comfortable middle ground between polished and raw. You can easily hear each instrument individually in the mix (even the bass!) but no instrument has a totally clear and pristine sound. The mix adds a very welcome element to the band’s vocal sound, shown most clearly in the song “Masters of the Damned” which features a section that the vocals are performing a cappella and you can hear just how much force there is behind that sound, unlike some extra polished recordings.

A worthy addition to any metalhead’s collection, Gates of Domination is available on iTunes for a measly $7, so buy a copy! Not sold yet? Check out some of the band’s music below (which is featured on the album):