Metal Underground.com

With symphonic synths, grinding guitars and guttural growls, Emergency Gate doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to melodic death metal on the band's latest album, "The Nemesis Construct." Still, there's plenty to love for those with a taste for European-style heaviness.

The album gets off to a heavy-as-hell start with the speedy "Alternative Dead End," which emphasizes guitarists Vlad Doose and Udo Simon, with comparatively minimal synth-playing. The track also gives singer Matthias Kupka a chance to demonstrate his aptitude for both clean and shouted vocals.

One thing that really adds to the European feel of the album is Daniel Schmidle's keyboard playing, which often has an almost disco vibe to it. For example, the synth part in "Dark Side Of The Sun" almost feels like something you'd hear at a Paris fashion show. I particularly enjoyed some of the more experimental moments featuring Schmidle, such as the wedding march and crying woman that begin "As My Bride Cries Blood."

The album's best guitar work is definitely the solo in "The Green Mile," with the opening to "World Escape" coming in a close second. I also have to credit the band and producer for giving Mario Lochert's bass parts plenty of space in the mix, adding to the heaviness.

The album doesn't have too many negatives, other than a couple tunes — "Story Of A Psychopath" and "This Time" — that don't seem to flow very well rhythmically.

Emergency Gate's "The Nemesis Construct" is a solidly built bit of melodic death metal with a distinctly European style. With its distinctly Gothenburg influences, it's not the most original disc out there, but it gets the job done well.