Leading Prog Rock label The Laser’s Edge welcomes Dutch trio Gates Of Kiev for the release of their eponymous debut LP, today unveiling its cover art, track listing, pre-orders, and lead preview with the song “Hamlet Burns.”
Stream “Hamlet Burns” via the YouTube player below:
Gates Of Kiev is a Progressive Rock band founded in the Netherlands by childhood friends, organist Tomas Mesman and drummer Hessel Braat. The band’s origins trace back to their teenage years, when a shared passion for classic and vintage music brought them together. What began as informal late night Hard Rock sessions in a small garage gradually evolved into the musical foundation that defines the band today. While performing on the Amsterdam live music circuit, the duo met Eszl De Vois, an established bass player in the underground psychedelic scene whose passion for unconventional Jazz fit the band like a glove.
Heavily inspired by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the band adopted the name Gates Of Kiev, taken from the iconic piece featured on the EL&P live album “Pictures At An Exhibition.” Taking further inspiration from the modern local garage and punk scene as well as the early years of ‘70s prog bands, Gates Of Kiev’s live shows have evolved into loud, high energy, over-the-top, intense performances. The band’s songs are long and mostly instrumental, and the sparse lyrics they infuse into the music reflect both very personal struggles as societal topics, delivered in a whimsical and sometimes direct way. The dynamics and atmosphere within the instrumental parts are closely tied to the themes of the songs, trying to set a story without words.
The band’s debut album “Gates Of Kiev” presents forty minutes of incredibly dynamic and immediately engaging music delivered through four sprawling songs. Recorded by Gates Of Kiev, the album was mixed and mastered by White Willow’s Jacob Holm-Lupo in Norway and completed with cover art courtesy of Italian Heavy Psych illustrator Mont Doom.
The lead preview of the album arrives with the song “Hamlet Burns,” about which drummer Hessel Braat: “‘Hamlet Burns’ is a dramatic, ecstatic song inspired by the scenery of barren fields in Dutch Winter. The music and lyrics follow a journey of loss, deep experience and transformation. Almost as if portraying the unfolding of destiny within a human life.”
“Gates Of Kiev” will be released on LP, CD, and digital platforms on October 2nd. Preorders are now live at The Laser’s Edge webshop HERE and at Bandcamp, the standard audio HERE and the 24 bit hi-rez HERE.
Additional previews of the album, live shows, and more will be posted over the weeks ahead.
Tracklist:
01. Hamlet Burns
02. Baltazar’s Feast
03. Silhouette
04. Drunkship Of The Mice