G.A.T.E.S: Total Death 12" review

Label: Tardis (England) - Destard 009
Release date: February 2009
Quantity: 500?

Track list:
•G.A.T.E.S
•Sacrifice
•Demon Crusade
•Night Howl
•Filth
•Long Live The Evil
•Overkill

Metal Punk mutants from Japan, G.A.T.E.S, get their 2005 CD collection of the demo tape and split 12" with Metal Skull finally issued on vinyl. Nice looking picture disc with Baphomet hanging out having a good time (hmm, seems familiar). Looking at the matrix, the vinyl looks like it was pressed with GZ from the Czech Republic (the pressing of 500 is just a guess on my part). A good amount of people have been itching for the Total Death collection CD to see a vinyl release since the original formats are pretty hard to come by. No complaints on the translation of sound to vinyl of this low-fi motor-metal masterpiece. But don't get me wrong when I say "lo-fi"...this sounds dirty-- but great, even as the double bass maxes out the low end and mid frequencies on my stereo; exactly how it should sound, in my opinion. Brace yourself as the Motörhead and Tank worship comes to a head with a cover of Motörhead's Overkill, as the last cut. I love the simple outer sleeve, the back side is completely black and the inner sleeve has a great black and white collage featuring gasmasks, Hitler Jugend, and Marshall 4x12s. Check out the nice write up on G.A.T.E.S and the Metal Punk Death Squad on this Agipunk site.



Discography:
•Demo Tape (2003, self-released)
•Split 12" with Metal Skull
•Total Death CD (2005, compiles demo and split 12" tracks, Diwphalanx Records)
•Split 7" with Disclose (2005, Dan-Doh)
•Disclose split reissued on 10" (2007, Plague Bearer)
•Split 7" with Bludwulf (2007, High Society Satanic Records)
•Devastation 12" (2008, High Society Satanic Records)
•Bloodsucker EP (2008, ltd to 160, High Society Satanic Records)
•Total Death 12" reissue of CD (2009, Tardis)
•Split 7" with Burning Leather (2009, H:G Fact)
•Split 7" with Children Of Technology (2009, High Society Satanic Records)