'''BlackGates''' is from Alameda, CA. This band consists of ex Testament drummer (Bostaph), ex-Whitesnake bassist (Uriah Duffy), [[The Venting Machine ]] guitarist (Jeremy Von Epp) and ex-Anthrax vocalist (Dan Nelson). They formed in late 2009. and wrote their first five songs that year and entered the studio to record a three-song demo in late 2010.