While metal is often associated with death and destruction, power metal bands like
Dark Moor show that the genre is also capable of soaring to triumphant heights, a feat the band accomplishes splendidly on its third album,
The Gates of Oblivion. Influenced by the majesty and sprawling structure of classical music, the Spanish band takes listeners on a fantastic musical journey that owes as much to
Mozart (to whom the band pays tribute on "Dies Iraes [Amadeus]") as it does to
Blind Guardian. A superlative entry in the
Dark Moor discography,
The Gates of Oblivion is an invigorating display of musicianship and imagination that truly shows off metal's more fantastic side. ~ Gregory Heaney