Release Date: May 05th 2023. Record Label: Riot Season Records and Echodelic Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
The Gateless Gate: Tracklisting
1.Twilight Chorus - 16:12
2.Sound Of Desolation - 19.54
Members
Fred Laird - Organ, Synth, Bass, Percussive Guitars, Drums, Sun Gong, Mix and Production.
Mike Vest - Bass, Synth, Lead Guitars and H- Delays.
Martin Ash - Viola
Review
The Gateless Gate is the new album from Psych Rock Experimentalists ARTIFACTS & URANIUM and sees the band add a more Ambient Rock flavour to their music compared to previous releases. There’s the subtle Droned Out Textures with a little dash of Electronic sounds heard within the first lengthy composition of Twilight Chorus.
Twilight Chorus is very multi-layered with the different levels of sounds the band employs here. The song is quite twisted and has a surreal vibe to the tracks with the use of Guitar Reverb and Amplifier Distortion. ARTIFACTS & URANIUM add different sounding guitars with intense drumming along with the added use of organs and synths. ARTIFACTS & URANIUM don’t play anything safe with this album and this song proves that with it’s slow paced delivery the band use to deliver their music with. The later stages can be quite overwhelming with the dramatic use of Post-Rock and Space Rock themes which gives this album quite an apocalyptic feel.
Second track Sound Of Desolation continues with the Droned Out Experimental nature of the previous track but has a more hopeful flow to the song. The sounds are ethereal for the most part but with this being ARTIFACTS & URANIUM even hopeful moments have to fade away to sound that becomes Doom and Drone based. The instrumental work is stunning with ARTIFACTS & URANIUM using a wide array of different instruments. There’s a certain TANGERINE DREAM and VANGELIS influence appearing especially with the quieter moments of the track. The later stages of the song ventures into harsher realms of Distorted Drone which brings a subtle Sludgy groove which is perhaps one of the best parts of the album and allows this to be the best track on the album.
The Gateless Gate is another sublime release from ARTIFACTS & URANIUM and allows the band to close off their trilogy of albums (Artifacts & Uranium & Panscosmology) in mighty great fashion and still leave you wanting to hear more.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Mike Vest and Riot Season Records for the promo.