Although one wouldn't necessarily assume that Indiana would be the birthplace of a well-tuned doom metal outfit, perhaps it's important to take into consideration Indiana's disconnect from the rest of the pop market, and maybe the picture gets a little clearer. Hailing from the state's capital, the Gates of Slumber started making the slow, sludgy, methodical style of metal their bread and butter around 1998. Led by guitarist and vocalist Karl Simon, the Gates of Slumber -- the membership rounded out by Jason McCash on bass and a number of drummers, including most recent sticksman "Iron" Bob Fouts -- released their first album, The Awakening, on Final Chapter in 2004. This debut was preceded by a number of demos and compilation appearances, and was followed by more compilations and a pair of EPs. In 2006, Gates released their first big statement, the album Suffer No Guilt, on I Hate Records. The album brought a huge response from the metal press, scoring 4 Ks from Kerrang! magazine. The bulk of 2007 was spent releasing splits and compilation appearances, and in 2008 the Gates of Slumber unleashed their next album, Conqueror, which was a joint release on Profound Lore and I Hate Records. ~ Chris True