Finnish blackened death/thrash metal duo GATES OPEN have released their latest single, ‚The Black Scorpion‘, a fast-paced and venomous track exploring the darker recesses of the human psyche. The release marks the band’s first new material since their 2025 single ‚The Blood On Their Hands‘, continuing their prolific output under Inverse Records.Finnish two-piece GATES OPEN have returned with a new single titled ‚The Black Scorpion‘, released in spring 2026 through Inverse Records. The track is described by the band as a metaphorical journey into darkness, drawing on the symbolic weight of the black scorpion as it appears across cultures — from the deserts of South America to the depths of the human mind — as an emblem of the inevitable, the venomous, and the powerful.
Composed, mixed, and mastered by guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Jere Neejärvi, with lyrics penned by vocalist Tommi Manninen, ‚The Black Scorpion‘ is characterised by the duo’s signature blend of ferocity and atmosphere. The band describes the song not merely as an exercise in aggression, but as a confrontation with inner fear — a meditation on the shadows that dwell within all people before they strike with full force.
GATES OPEN was founded in early 2023, though the creative partnership between Neejärvi and Manninen stretches back to 2007 through a previous band. Signing to Inverse Records in June 2023, the duo has maintained a steady release schedule, including their debut full-length album ‚Voice After Silence‘ in February 2024, followed by the six-song EP ‚Black Clouds Over The World‘ in October 2024.
‚The Black Scorpion‘ is now available across streaming platforms and can be previewed via the band’s official smart link.