Gatecreeper Dark Superstition

Five years is a long time for a band like Gatecreeper to go between full-length records. Sure, they appeared on that split with Exhumed and released their blistering (except for that 11-minute closer) EP An Unexpected Reality but five years for a band on the rise like them is a bit long for my tastes. Thankfully the wait is over and Dark Superstition delivers both what we might expect and some new surprises.

Considering the makeup of this album, you can’t help but expect something awesome given that the band took on Dismember’s Fred Etsby to co-produce and Kurt Ballou at God City Studios to record and mix the record…and let’s not forget that these guys have been developing their songwriting and perfecting their sound with each release. Loads of bands have paid homage to the Swedish lords and torchbearers of the HM2, but there’s something about how Gatecreeper composes their sound that just hits like goddamn brick to the face and simultaneously drag you down into the muck deeper than other bands. The guitars are plenty “chainsaw-ish”, the drums are forward in the mix and are glued in place by a deep bass sound. All the sonic choices really tee up Chase Mason’s vocal performance; you’re able to take in the lyrics more than previous albums and his effort really shines on the album.

“Dead Star” throws the first curve-ball for listeners when compared to their previous albums and that’s a damned good thing.  From the first few seconds, you’re greeted by an infectiously melodic riff and the song doesn’t let up. In fact, the whole record continues to not only pummel away at your ears, but it gets stuck in your head. “Caught in the Treads” is another example of keeping one foot planted in “their” sound, and one in the Etsby/Dismember style, and frankly it just…works. (that whole track runs you over like a fucking tank would indeed) Emerging suddenly from the depths of the Superstition Mountains itself and leaning more towards Entombed’s Death n’ Roll sound, “Dark Curtain” is rock n roll in its delivery; the melodies continue to hook into your brain. This track shows even more that the band is taking chances with their music.

Now it could be argued that working with one of the greats of Swedish death metal will leave a serious imprint on the music and could be perceived to some people, as if the band wanted someone to help them crank out another record and have a big name attached to it. But this is where it can be argued that Gatecreeper brought in an outside producer to help get out of their comfort zone a bit; to challenge themselves to grow more as songwriters and this is where they differ from a lot of their contemporaries. Gatecreeper has shown a willingness to evolve their songwriting but retain their core sound. Case in point, “Masterpiece of Chaos” not only sounds like the purest distillate of evil, but it transitions from mid-tempo ass-beating to a barrage of blast beats and furious double-kick patterns, reminding you of what Gatecreeper has done very well from the start.

Bottom Line:  When you take a step back and look at the album it’s undeniably a Gatecreeper record. You’re met with the familiar grimy Swedish HM2 guitar riffs, the production suits the bands songwriting well, and the songs focus on the grim, the mysterious and the darker aspects of existence. But incorporating new songwriting methods on top of their well-defined sound adds up to an utterly fantastic record.