Review
To begin are twenty minutes of undulating synthesizers and patient pacing, signaling that Denver’s premier death metal visionaries have once again traded their signature guttural snarls for cosmic, analog synthesis. Long a companion piece tucked away inside deluxe physical editions of Absolute Elsewhere, this standalone release of the All Gates Open soundtrack highlights the band's total comfort in non-metal realms. Critics embrace it not as a mere novelty, but as a "fully realised, deeply considered piece of work that stands entirely on its own terms."
Throughout the album's four extensive tracks, the quartet leans into a surprisingly warm, organic temperament. Rather than relying on cold digital design, the analog textures emulate a meditative, slow-drifting trek where "sound existing in space" takes precedence over kinetic momentum. For The Quietus, the record maintains the band's stellar track record of world-building, serving as "slow-burning exercises in planetary and internal exploration" that reward a listener's patience with a sense of pure, unhurried ease.
