There are just too many underground bands out there in the world for me to name all of the ones that I at least find to be ridiculously amazing. Feared, Primitiv, Ende, Frosthelm, Azooma, Black Kirin, Countless Skies; the list simply goes one as it does for all of us. But every now and then, there’s a band that rises above the rest because they stand out and have the kind of appeal that people simply gravitate towards instantly. In the most recent case, Gatecreeper is this time, the band whose got its turn in the limelight. “Sonoran Depravation” is easily one of the most crushing death metal albums to have come out in months that is actually entertaining. Some bands just try to be heavy and loud as f**k to hopefully get a crowd going but fail to match in actual quality. Not Gatecreeper, however. The nine tracks of this debut full-length album breathe sheer gore and death that you could ever possibly want out of a death metal record of this caliber to the point where I’ve confidence even the most asshole of elitists will have nothing to say except “not too shabby”. And if that’s not enough, “Sonoran Depravation” somehow manages to incorporate elements of ye ol doom metal, making the final product an infinitely more crushing album. Then throw in some riffs that pound your essence into oblivion, and you’ll enjoy every second of it I guarantee. I can also guarantee that if you’re looking for a list of essential debut death metal albums (very specific!) to compile at the end of this year you better make damn sure Gatecreeper is somewhere on that compilation! They’ve done one f**king monstrous job with “Sonoran Depravation” that will prove they aren’t f**king around, they aren’t going to start off slow, and they sure as hell won’t take no for an answer. Gatecreeper has made an irrefutable statement with “Sonoran Depravation” and I feel that we should all bask in its excellence.
“Sonoran Depravation” releases on October 7th! You can pre-order the album via iTunes here, and stream the entire album via Noisey here.
