Gates of Ishtar
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Sweden |
| Products | Melodic death metal music |
Gates of Ishtar is a melodic death metal ensemble originating from Sweden.
History
Initially established in late 1992 under the name Disrupt, the founding members included Mikael Sandorf (vocals), Andreas Johansson (drums), Stefan Nilsson (guitar), and Harald Åberg (bass). Subsequently, guitarist Tomas Jutenfäldt joined the lineup. During preparations for their demo titled Seasons of Frost, Harald proposed adopting the name "Gates of Ishtar," while Andreas designed the band's emblem.
In May 1995, the group recorded Seasons of Frost at Lucichrist studio, which led to securing a deal with the Finnish label Spinefarm Records. Their first full-length album, A Bloodred Path, was produced in 1996 at Tico-Tico studio and released in June that year. Following this release and expressing dissatisfaction with Spinefarm, they entered into a two-album contract with the German label Invasion Records and commenced work on their sophomore album, The Dawn of Flames.
Before recording the second album, members Oskar and Niklas exited due to personal disagreements. Henrik Åberg, who had served as their live guitarist, transitioned to drums. Bass duties were handled by session musician Danjel Röhr. The recording sessions took place in early 1997 at Unisound Studios in Örebro, with the album launching on March 25, 1997.
The band came back together in 2015. Tragically, on March 3, 2016, drummer Oskar Karlsson passed away from heart failure.
Although officially still active, Gates of Ishtar has been inactive since 2019. On November 15, 2022, they announced plans for a live performance scheduled for 2023 in Umeå.
Discography
- Seasons of Frost (demo) (1995)
- A Bloodred Path (1996)
- The Dawn of Flames (1997)
- At Dusk and Forever (1998)
Current
- Mikael Sandorf – vocals (1992–1998, 2015–2016, 2022–present), guitars and bass (1997–1998)
- Andreas Johansson – guitars (1994–1997, 2015–2016, 2022–present), drums (1992–1994)
- Tomas Jutenfäldt – guitars (1994–1997, 2015–2016, 2022–present)
- Markus Parkkila – bass (2024–present)
- Fredrik Andersson – drums (2022–present)
Former
- Oskar Karlsson – drums (1994–1996, 1997–1998, 2015–2016; deceased 2016)
- Urban Carlsson – guitars (1997–1998)
- Harald Åberg – bass (1992–1994)
- Stefan Nilsson – guitars (1992–1994)
- Danjel Röhr – bass (1996–1997; deceased 2022)
- Henrik Åberg – drums (1996–1997)