Gatecreeper is a Death Metal band out of Arizona that quickly became one of my favorites. They formed in 2013, so they have done a lot of work in a relatively short amount of time. I would categorize the band as Death/Doom Metal, for the most part, with hook-riffs and some vocal components of Grindcore/Hardcore.
They are signed with Relapse Records, on which they’ve released two full length records: Sonoran Depravation(2016) and Deserted (2019). This year (2021) they surprised us with an EP release, An Unexpected Reality, on Closed Casket Activities.
Gatecreeper is:
Chase “Hellahammer” Mason – vocals
Eric “The Dark Cowboy” Wagner – guitars
Sean “Hell Mammoth” Mears – bass
Matt “Thunder Rage” Arrebollo – drums
Israel Garza – guitars
An Unexpected Reality is a banger, where the first seven songs are heavily influenced by the Grindcore and Hardcore genres, connected together by feedback, to seem as though they’re one song; and the last song, “Emptiness,” stands alone, completely different from the first, in a dark, doomy Death Metal posture. The first seven are 6:45 in length, combined; while, the last song is 11:06 on its own. This record is full of great riffs and powerful vocals, regardless of the style of any song. I love it!
Tracks:
Starved – 1:03
Sick of Being Sober – :58
Rusted Gold – :56
Imposter Syndrome – 1:07
Amputation – :31
Depraved Not Deprived – 1:11
Superspreader – :59
Emptiness – 11:06
Favorite Songs: The first seven, and Emptiness! LOL
Rating: 9/10!!