Affliction Gate
Aeon of Nox (from Darkness Comes Liberation)

January 2010
Released: 2009, Metal Inquisition Records
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Luxi Lahtinen

From Provence-Alpes-Côte Dazur, France, hails this French trio Affliction Gate that appreciate some old school values, at least as far as death metal is concerned. The band has only been around since 2006, and released one 4-track EP, titled SEVERANCE (DEAD TO THIS WORLD) in 2008, prior to their debut album that has now been unleashed through German Metal Inquisition Records.



Talking about unleashing, listening to Affliction Gate´s AEON OF NOX, one of the very first things that come to my mind, is actually the Swedish death troops Unleashed, and especially the band´s demo days. Herastratos, Affliction Gate´s death throat, reminds me a lot of Johnny Hedlund of Unleashed by his harsh vocal approach, but so does their music as I already mentioned about it a couple of lines above. Also, it´s Morgoth´s first 1988 demo PITS OF UTUMNO that not only a few times tends to crawl back to mind, but more often than that actually. Some clear and obvious references to Morgoth´s demo are definitely there – and I am even quite sure that the band members of Affliction Gate can somewhat easily subscribe this themselves, too.



The music herein is back-to-the-roots type of death metal; it´s relatively raw, simple, heavy and just straight to-the-point. It´s not even trying to be anything else than all that – and I really happen to like the feeling and vibe I get out of this release. Surely this type of stuff is not for everyone, but at least I know already it should warm up all those metalheads´ hearts that experienced the first wave of death metal in the end of 80s, digging bands like Master, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, Grave, Benediction and so many more.



AEON OF NOX (FROM DARKNESS COMES LIBERATION) is a good old school death metal record from this French death patrol, even if it needs to be admitted that most of its charisma lies in its nostalgic moments, harking back to the times when the death metal scene was still very virginal, untouched and something new, yet to be explored. Ah, those were the times indeed...