Gates of Ishtar were active in the second half of the 90s. There were a few record releases, but the Luleå band never made it beyond Sweden’s borders.
When the band decided to reunite and play at a festival in Umeå last year, it added flavor.
– A guy from Chile had traveled there just to see us, says singer Mikael Sandorf.
Then requests from festivals around the world started pouring in and a few weeks ago the band played in Mexico in front of thousands of fans.
– They arrive and bring eight plates that they want signed.
Several bands around the world
But Gates of Ishtar is not alone in making an international breakthrough decades later. Other bands are, for example, Sacramentum from Falköping and Bewitched from Umeå.
– It’s full fucking speed. It feels like there’s a bit of a nostalgia wave for 90s bands that haven’t played that much live, says Robert Sundelin, drummer in Bewitched.
“Walking among the clouds”
For Gates of Ishtar, gigs at festivals in Germany and the USA are now waiting.
Bass player Markus Parkkila is significantly younger than the other members and joined the band a few months ago. For him, it is a dream come true.
– I walk smiling and walking among the clouds.