There’s a moment when you look at the promo pit and think everything sounds the same. Brutal death, melodic black, thrash with modern production — all fine, all expected. And then you see two words you don’t often see together: instrumental black metal. And they catch your eye precisely because you didn’t expect them.
OSMIUM GATE are a duo from Salt Lake City, Utah — guitarist/bassist Drew Ehrgott (known from Reverence of the Martyr) and drummer Rene Gomez (of Yaotl Mictlan, Ibex Throne, Pan-Amerikan Native Front). They formed in December 2024 and Cannibal Galaxy is their debut — released on March 13, 2026, self-released, with Ehrgott handling recording, mixing, mastering and artwork all by himself. Everything through his own hands.
Now, the big question with every instrumental metal record is one: can it hold your attention without vocals? The answer here is “yes, but not always” — and that is at the same time the most honest thing one can say about this record and the most interesting.
When OSMIUM GATE are at their best, they’re genuinely good. “Sailing Stone” has a point where a lead runs parallel to a separate rhythm — complex, spirited, that kind of moment that makes you stop what you’re doing and listen. “Blood Rain” is direct and violent in the best way — it doesn’t need a minute to get to its point. But the top track is “Nacreous” in the middle of the record: a melancholy lead over blast beats that slowly open into slower, atmospheric melodies. It’s the track that justifies this record’s existence on its own — the kind of moment you don’t easily forget.
The title track “Cannibal Galaxy” is also among the strongest — doom-tempo riffs that build into an avalanche of chord progressions, with a melody that rises exactly where it should. Gomez on drums isn’t merely rhythmic background — you hear someone who plays with an opinion.
Now for what doesn’t work perfectly.
Some tracks — and “Waters of Natron” is the most typical example — have large open structures that leave space where you instinctively expect vocals to come and fill the gap. They aren’t bad tracks — they just sound half-finished. Bands like Animals as Leaders or Scale the Summit solve this problem by guiding the listener from one point to another without gaps — here, in some tracks, the road stays open without taking you anywhere.
It’s worth noting that the record sounds better where OSMIUM GATE step outside the typical black metal frame — the more death metal or doom their sound becomes, the more complete the result sounds.
Overall, Cannibal Galaxy is a debut that has enough strong moments to be worth your time — especially if you love instrumental metal. “Nacreous” alone justifies a listen. If OSMIUM GATE manage to bring the whole record up to the level of their highlights, their next one will be something much more serious.
Rating: Good with a lot of promise Released: March 13, 2026 | Label: Self-Release For fans of: Scale the Summit, Animals as Leaders, Plini — Websites: Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp
