GALLOWS POLE – Doors Of Perception (2016)

Austrian rockers GALLOWS POLE are one of the most long lasting bands from the European scene, and they still deliver the goods as heard on their fresh CD “Doors Of Perception“.
Based in Vienna, Gallows Pole did their first gig in 1975 (!), but tragedy struck in 1976 when the band’s then-vocalist Karl Prinz, died. The band continued in the aftermath of his passing and released their first single in 1980 under the name Angelina, because their then-label urged them to do so.
They were able to change their name back in 1981 in time for the release of their full-length debut, 1981’s In Rock We Trust.

The band’s next three releases would take a long time between each of them to be released, being in 1989 (We Wanna Come Home), 1999 (The Smile of the Dolphins) and 2008 (the imaginatively titled IV).
Through all these years, Gallows Pole’s music was morphing according times, so their discography is pretty varied ranging from Hard Rock, NWOBHM, Melodic Hard, Prog and more.
But lately, Gallows Pole has returned in full force and the band’s records have since come out at a fairly consistent rate, with their next few releases being 2010’s Revolution, 2011’s Waiting for the Mothership and 2013’s And Time Stood Still.

“Doors Of Perception” is an amalgam of the last forty years in Rock put into an album, and the musical paths Gallows Pole has traveled through since their inception.
Opener “Burn It Down” is melodic hard rocker with a first half of the Eighties feel, same with the moody follower “Angel Eyes”. I hear traces of early Magnum, Wishbone Ash or Century all over.
Then “Learn to Live” shows Gallows Pole’s progressive heritage, here in the more melodic side of the genre, some kind of Asia without the bombast and with a classic rock feel. This is heard as well in the atmospheric “Someday Soon” which reminds me the band Nektar.

The only musician of Gallows Pole who has been with the band on all of their recorded albums is frontman Alois Martin Binder, although keyboardist Gunther Steiner should be considered a a key member too, helping to shape Gallows Pole’s style since the first half of the ’80s.
Despite his age, Binder’s vocals are pretty solid providing one of Gallows Pole’s most distinctive touches, as he sounds like Roger Waters singing more rocking stuff. The rest of the band sports strong musicianship as well with vintage guitar riffs and classic keyboards being the center role in the music.

Very well produced with a clear sound, “Doors Of Perception” is an enjoyable classic rock record mixing styles from the last decades resulting into a cohesive product. There’s classic rock riffs, melodic choruses, a progressive feel, Hammond organs, etc.
While a couple of tracks are a bit derivative, the songwriting is quite tight and varied, certainly interesting enough if you like this kind of classic thing and the acts mentioned above as comparison.

01 – Burn It Down
02 – Angel Eyes
03 – Learn to Live
04 – Watching the Sun Go Down
05 – Bring Me Through the Night
06 – Someday Soon
07 – Your Own Demons
08 – A Rainbow Just for Me
09 – Doors of Perception

Vocals, guitar, bass – Alois Martin Binder
Keyboards – Günther Steiner
Drums – Andy Wagner
Guitars – Harald Prikasky
Guest Guitar on 5 – Harry “El” Fischer

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