New to our blog, Gatecloser are the Italian alternative metal band of Stefano, Matteo, Nicola and Thomas.
By Graeme Smith
They have two albums under their belts, 2020’s From The Wasteland and 2024’s The Fall of God. Now they’ve come to our attention through their single and video, Dance of Shadows.
Lyrically, it’s about a father and son’s relationship set against the wider theme of poverty and wealth. The track deploys loud-quiet strikingly with the effect being equally thoughtful and stirring.
Imagery is deployed in abundance in its video which is rich with storytelling. It nicely emphasises the swaggering metal of the track’s instrumental and provides a vivid backdrop for the soulful, passionate vocals.
I can’t confess to being the world’s biggest metal fan. We certainly don’t share a lot of it on this blog. Yet, the way Gatecloser are approaching the genre is refreshing. There’s plenty of nuance and melody in their arrangements, and they have plenty to say with their lyrics. They are able to use video to great effect, giving us a full package with their music. I’m certainly looking forward to hearing more from them.
Dance of Shadows is out now and you can give it a listen below.