Gatecreeper – Dark Superstition
Release Date: 17th May 2024
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, OSDM.
FFO: Creeping Death, Frozen Soul, 200 Stab Wounds, Dismember, Necrot, Entombed, Bolt Thrower.
Review By: Rick Farley
The new wave of American death metal is a relatively recent term (a few years) that describes the resurgence of old school death metal taking a front seat over more modern types of death metal. It is not proggy, techy or blackened, it is an ass-kicking blend of chunky HM-2 chainsaw style guitars that groove with a potent rhythm section thundering down, right square on the top of your blood soaked noggin. Impossible not to headbang to and delightfully catchy, the new wave is in safe hands with Tucson, Arizona’s Gatecreeper.
Set to release their gnarly third full length album Dark Superstition via the mighty Nuclear Blast Records, Gatecreeper is poised to obliterate the landscape of OSDM and become this generations ultimate leaders of the genre. Straight from the scorching Sonoran, dark and frozen death metal awaits you. Imagine a hulking, frigid beast lumbering amongst the desert sand while the sun scorches its flesh as it searches for prey. That is basically what Dark Superstition sounds like.
The highly memorable track The Black Curtain starts off with an ominous swedeath melody and buzzsaw guitars from Eric Wagner and Israel Garza giving off Dark Tranquillity meets Entombed meets early Paradise Lost vibes. It is incredibly catchy, with hooks that will hold onto you for days. A killer death metal earworm grinding through your brain, like a decay filled maggot burrowing in a rotten corpse. Masterpiece of Chaos is a straight beater of a track full of thumping double bass and mid paced tar thick, stomping riffs. Heavy as fuck, groovy and skull blasting. Vocalist Chase H. Mason bellows his distinctive voice that borders a hardcore-ish throaty bark, vomited out growl’s aka John Tardy and intestine shaking gutturals. The mammoth bass drum patterns from Matt Arrebollo could level a fucking building. Tears Fall From the Sky closes out this monstrous album with strong funeral doom influence, ranging from leviathan hordes of guitars with swirling melodies, lumbering bass from Alex brown to bone breaking, chugging savagery. This is an ugly, hell-raising record that explores every side of itself, coming out the other end with clear influences melded with an infectious heaviness, Gothenburg melodies and unmistakable, original sound qualities that make Gatecreeper a band not to be slept on. Sitting at around 38 minutes, the album is ten gruesome tracks of battering ram riffs, unrelenting grit and an intentional catchiness that will easily change your mind about the preconceived notions of what the new wave of old school death metal sounds like. Every band is not the same, especially this one.
Dark Superstition was recorded at God City Studios in Salem, Massachusetts, with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou, who also mixed the album. It sounds fucking incredible, hitting all the sweet spots of crustiness, heaviness, and destructive raw tones. Thick, punchy, and clear, you can hear everything down to the percussive nuances. A shout-out to Fred Estby, drummer, and main songwriter of death metal legends, Dismember; he helped in pre-production, putting the finishing touches on this uniquely nasty piece of death metal.
Dark Superstition is Gatecreeper’s answer to “Wolverine Blues” or “Massive Killing Capacity,” both albums that pivoted Entombed and Dismember to new heights with a fresher, tighter, more rock-based version of themselves. This is that album, promising on the band’s desire to be stadium death metal. Not sacrificing any heaviness, extreme elements or sludginess, Gatecreeper ramped up the swedeath melodies and overall catchiness, possibly releasing what may become their breakout album. There is not one complaint I have regarding this album. People will be talking about this album years from now the same way we currently talk about Cause of Death, Left Hand Path or Like an Ever Flowing Stream. Hands down, a total death metal masterpiece. 
(5 / 5)
