As someone who does these reviews on a daily basis, I’m no stranger when it comes to bands that have caused a bit of an uproar. Two of the more bombastic bands that have captured peoples’ attention are Iron Reagan’s with their no-stone-left-unturned style of crossover thrash and Gatecreeper’s face melting take on scathing death metal. Seeing the two pair up would seem to only be possible for a live venue I would think, but these two mammoths have teamed up for a split that’s not only incredibly welcome but a vicious piece of raw, unrelenting power.

I’ve kept my eyes on both of these bands ever since their promising debuts and seeing them blossom into two fucking amazing acts of their respective genre has been both a treat and a privilege. Now, we get to see them both at the very top of their game with this explosive new split that leaves no survivors whatsoever, and caters to fans of both genres time and again. With Iron Reagan, we get a lot of what we saw with their most recent full-length, “Crossover Ministry”, and if you’re anything like me then that’s a hell of a good thing! Riddled with a fuck you attitude and a ripping pace coupled with immaculate musicianship, Iron Reagan’s presence on this split is undeniable as they continue to hone their craft to explosive proportions to enable an all but intoxicating listen.

Now, it’s very much like what we got with Iron Reagan when it comes down to Gatecreeper’s contribution to the split: more of the same. Usually, I find that to be a boring thing as recycling the same sound can get old really quickly. But with these two bands, it’s the sort of thing that I could eat up all day long like homemade ice cream. Gatecreeper’s crushing mid-paced death metal makes an immensely violent entrance as these Sonoran desert representatives come back with a vengeance after last year’s EP of “Sweltering Madness”. With their subtle melodies and an overall enraging attitude of madness that does no less than melt your skin at a blistering pace, Gatecreeper terrifically serves as the closer of this split with one instrumental and two new tracks that are guaranteed to satisfy any fan of theirs.

Typically, splits are done between two bands of similar styles or similar fans, but with this the only connections between Iron Reagan and Gatecreeper are the same label and an unrelenting attitude that doesn’t leave any room whatsoever for survivors. Iron Reagan delivers with their massive presence that never once goes out with a whisper, and Gatecreeper comes around for a triumphant reaping of the masses that is sure to sweep across the metal world like a ferocious blaze in a forest.

This split releases on March 2nd via Relapse Records!

LISTEN to pieces from the split on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Iron Reagan on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Iron Reagan on Twitter: @Iron_Reagan

LIKE Gatecreeper on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Gatecreeper on Twitter: @Gatecreeper