METALLIAN - Gatekeeper

October 15th, Anno 21

East Of Sun - 2018 - Cruz Del Sur
From Western Shores - 2023 - Cruz Del Sur

Members

Vocals

Shorre McColman - Shadow Self, Borrowed Time, Funeral Circle, Traveler, Finality, Syrinx, Crimson Shadows>>Jean-Pierre Abboud>>Borrowed Time, Funeral Circle, Traveler, Finality, Syrinx, Among These Ashes - Odinfist, High Priest, Onward>>TYLER ANDERSON>>Odinfist, High Priest, Onward

Guitar

Eldgammel, Samandriel, Trollband, Scythia, Solo, Glyph, Spell, Smoulder>>JEFF BLACK>>Trollband, Scythia, Solo, Glyph, Spell, Smoulder - Rob Adie - Justin Song - Iron Kingdom>>Kenny Kroecher - Trollband>>ADAM BERGEN

Bass

Tessitura>>Leillyn McColman>>Tessitura - Manic Strike, Prophet Fulfilled>>DAVID MESSIER

Drum

Striker, Minax, Ironstorm>>Tyson Travnik>>Display Of Decay, Ironstorm - TOMMY TRO

History & Biography

This Canada-based band was founded by Jeff Black as a solo act in Edmonton in 2009. He has been credited as Geoff Blackwell occasionally as well. The man was a freelance music and fiction writer as well. An EP was recorded over the course of 2011 and 2012 and released in 2014. It was called Prophecy And Judgement. The band, with an actual line-up, was still a mere side-project. A cassette recorded in Calgary was called Shadow Over Calgarae. The band/man relocated further west to Vancouver in 2014. Vigilance was a 2015 single upload. No Remorse Records released the Retaliator/Vigilance split for the band and Eternal Champion in 2015. The band and Vancouver’s Funeral Circle split a single as well. Singer since 2010, Shorre McColman, and his brother Leillyn McColman, left in 2015. Metal Massacre XIV of 2016 incuded a track with the band. Guitarist Kenny Kroecher and drummer Tommy Tro joined the band in 2016. The duo was in a Blind Guardian covers' band with Blackwell. Gatekeeper itself loves its cover versions.

The band toured the west coast of US and Canada with American singer Jean-Pierre Abboud who had moved to Canada. Cruz Del Sur Music released the band’s debut album in the spring of 2018. The record contained new songs and older ones re-arranged and modified. Its title was inspired by the book East Of Sun, West Of Moon, which is a Norwegian fairytale. The group appeared at Keep It True XXI. The Grey Maiden EP arrived in 2019, but its recording preceded the full-length. Gatekeeper announced a co-headlining European tour with Sanhedrin for 2019. Dubbed A Shadow Over Europa tour, it was scheduled to go through that March. Gatekeeper reported that drummer Tommy Tro and guitarist Kenny Kroecher would not be able to join the band on the road. They recruited Kyle Summers on drum and guitarist Adam Bergen on guitar to step in. They ended up staying. Singer Jean-Pierre Abboud left in 2021.

Kyle Summers became the band’s concert drummer. Into Eternity, Witherfall, Iron Kingdom, Winters Reach, Gatekeeper, Syryn and others joined the 2022 Hyperspace Metal Festival line-up. The festival was taking place from April 15 to 17 in Vancouver, Canada. A second record arrived in 2023. Its name was true to the band’s geography and the band recorded a video for the title track. The act was billed for Hell's Heroes V Festival 2023. The band toured continental Europe with Smoulder in 2024. This included an appearance at the Courts Of Chaos Festival. Jeff Black stayed back to further play with Smoulder in the UK.

The band’s lyrics and artwork demonstrate an affinity for fantasy, Lovecraft and Conan The Barbarian tales. Black’s side hustles typically involve playing keyboards (like Andy Fletcher or Nick Rhodes). The group’s line-up is as stable as Don Trump’s genius.

Jeff has called the band’s style, “sword-swinging Heavy Metal.”

Reviews

Interviews

Gatekeeper