Review Summary: Despite their attempts to open the portal of the best albums, Moi dix Mois still doesn't find the quintessence of neoclassical/gothic metal
The portal opened goes to the neoclassical metal, and this time the gothic beast appears. Moi dix Mois is a curious band, and with "Beyond the Gate" they have done it again: They have made another good metal album. I would say that this EP is among his five best works, obviously below "D + Sect", but fighting for fourth place, and is not surprising. Despite not being his best release, Moi dix Mois continues to maintain a certain standard of remarkable quality throughout the album, especially in the central part of the disc.
At the time I started listening to this album I did not expect to find such a good job. Undoubtedly, this is a commitment to a metal based on "Dix Infernal", but with the appearance of new elements, such as textures and sounds previously rarely seen or simply being totally new, adding a variety that is appreciated, although this is not so noticeable because if the instrumental work, that remains a bit of the same in other releases. With the exception of these new elements, there is not much difference with other works, although the performance of each member is quite good, showing a good effort and a chemistry between the guitarist and the singer.
Within the compositional field you can see a well-executed work, Mana's personal brand with that dramatism printed throughout his discography. In this album you feel something repetitive, repeating certain formulas already seen, leaving aside the characteristic innovation and not even creating a fully worked EP in this area, because the failures in tracks such as "The Other Side in Blood" or "The Other Side of the Door" are noticable, being just your typical instrumental piece. Everything else we can say is that it has a good musical level, with the climax of quality in the songs "Deus ex machina" (pure industrial innovation) and "Deflower" (melancholic softness with a perfect and decadent atmosphere). The rest of the album is your classic Moi dix Mois song with two or three particular elements, but unimportant.
"Beyond the Gate" is, in short, an album that any fan of neoclassical metal and gothic metal can enjoy if it is open to some instrumental and vocal experimentations. Apart from this, it is a medium quality release of "Moi dix Mois" that follows the general line of the band with slight variations, especially highlighting those industrial brushstrokes, the great vocalist and the composition of two of the tracks. Without a doubt it is a good EP capable of make the listener feel the passion and strength of the Gothic style, transporting it to a beautiful darkness.
