Gates To Hell // Death Comes to All // Album Review

Louisville death metal goliaths Gates To Hell are here to make sure you meet your maker.

Since forming in 2019 Gates To Hell have been riding hard in the underground hardcore & death metal scene. Writing some of the most hellish riffs & breakdowns to come out of the hardcore scene in some time.

Now teaming up with Nuclear Blast to release their second full length “Death Comes to All”. The band turned up the savagery to give us their most defined album to date.

Opener “Rise Again” gives you want straight away, punishing blast beats & thick arse riffs, while frontman Ryan Storey’s gut-wrenching screams reverberate in your eardrums. This first track gives you just enough to whet your appetite & shows you just what GTH are capable of.

With a huge opening build up “Weeping In Pain” gets the pulse racing. Then going straight into this balls out chugging section really gives the track a nice break up. The strongest weapon GTH have always had in their arsenal is they always know when to switch things up & keep them interesting.

When the tracks bridge builds closer they give you a brief moment of silent relief to breathe before swinging the hammer down to one of their heaviest breakdowns in their catalogue.

Feeling like a swamp of bees filtered through a HM2 pedal “Next To Bleed” with its chaotic opening grabs you straight away & when the band have you in their grasp the beatdown begins. Trey Garris frenetic drumming on this track is absurd. Everything from open hand blast beats, great cymbal work & hitting those heavy toms just at the right time to add to the true bloodthirstiness the band craves in savageness.

The album’s title track ” Death Comes To All” is a huge showcase for guitarists Seth Lewis & Eli Hanson. Between them both on the whole album & especially on this track have written some of my favourite riffs of this half of the year. Straight into the palm muting chugging & fast Death style riffing this one right from the bat is hard to hold onto its going 150mph but just at its peak the duo introduce this very groove, hip moving groove riff.

Even giving us a great tasty lead lick too this track feels huge. As we creep towards the bridge a sea of hammer ons & pinch harmonics build & build until all is unleashed into a superb breakdown.

Also lets talk quickly about the production on this album. It’s raw, powerful & ridiculously heavy. Randy LeBoeuf of Graphic Nature Audio is one of the best in the game right now. And choosing to go with him has added a new level to the group’s sound. A perfect blend of old Machine Head tone with Cannibal Corpse & Obituary stomp.

The closing track “Fused With The Soil” feels like the band has left the best till last. This all-out carnage of a track features some of the heaviest breakdowns, riffs & performances from vocalist Ryan Storey. This three-minute has 2 step sections, some of the fastest blasting on album riff & drum wise. All laminating in a grossed-out bass break that builds up to the final few seconds of the album in a haunting manner that resonates & stays with you.

Gates To Hell is something so special. In a sea of bands now thinking what they do is heavy, the same repetitive breakdowns / mosh parts you have in a band like Gates To Hell. Who painstakingly writes these great hooks & ungodly sections that stay with you?

Not only that their ability to create fun, impressive & out of nowhere song structures keeps their sound fresh and exciting. These are a bunch of lads that just love music & know that they want to write the music that will cause the most violence. And they do it perfectly.

Review: Joseph Mitchell

Death Comes To All is out via Nuclear Blast on 21st March 2025