Review: Gatecreeper - An Unexpected Reality

Gatecreeper are a death metal band from Arizona. An Unexpected Reality is a special release that came out January 21st, 2021 on Closed Casket Activities. This album in particular shows Gatecreeper experimenting with a “Hardcore / Grindcore” sound with the first seven songs, and a slower, more melodic sound on the last track.

If I’m being honest, their last record Deserted felt like it dragged on a little too much for me. At times, it felt like the riffs would just repeat for too long causing more “filler” than anything else. It’s a good record, but if some of the songs were shorter, it would have been incredible. An Unexpected Reality is everything I have been wanting from Gatecreeper.

The first seven songs blaze straight through, with these punishing, headbanging riffs, with blast beats that are absolutely perfect. In just under seven minutes, these songs make me want to stage dive, and drive down a highway going over 100 miles per hour. “Rusted Gold”, and “Amputation” are standout tracks for me on the faster side. I really hope that this release means there will be more blast beats in  Gatecreeper’s future.

“Emptiness” is an eleven minute track that nods to bands like Evoken, and Mournful Congregation. It’s not exactly funeral doom, but it sounds like Gatecreeper doing funeral doom mixed with a hint of black metal. It’s melodies are beautiful, and the leads make the song feel “Epic” in sound. There is also a brief clean guitar part around the seven and a half minute mark that really ties the song together.

I hope Gatecreeper take elements of this experimentation to their future releases, as it would really add more depth to their sound.

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