The journey is the reward for Gatekeeper founder Geoff Blackwell. Originally formed in Alberta, Canada in 2009 as a solo project for him to write "some barbaric riffs and teach myself how to play guitar," the band, through a series of EPs and splits and even a cross-country move from Alberta to Vancouver, has finally arrived with their full-length debut, East of Sun, which also marks their first release for Cruz Del Sur Music. Recorded over the span of six months at Harbourside Studios in Vancouver, Canada with producer Mike Rogerson (Aggression, Annihilator) and Angelo Boose at the helm, East of Sun possesses the songwriting class of Manilla Road with the muscle and storytelling might of Manowar along with the melodic bravado of NWOBHM. Complete with visually-stunning cover art from renowned British artist Duncan Storr (Dark Forest, Skyclad), East of Sun is an unbridled epic metal statement, woven from the same unifying threads that have kept true metal alive for decades. Gatekeeper is now the latest to carry the torch. A true metal success story if there ever was one, Gatekeeper has risen from the most primitive of means to join the bands who inspired them to form in the first place. Ready to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with both on record and on stage, Gatekeeper proves on East of Sun they are ready to take on the melodic metal world.
