There aren’t very many times when I see an album be announced and I really want to pre-order it simply because I don’t like buying music I hadn’t heard yet, but there comes around an album every now and then that makes me wish I had taken that leap because after listening to the material in question I have an absolute desire to give my financial support to it. I wasn’t expecting to feel such ways with Gatecreeper’s forthcoming effort, but it’s at every turn this second full-length blows its predecessor right out of the fucking water.

It was with their first album of “Sonoran Depravation” that Gatecreeper made a damn respectable splash in the death metal world with their corrosive sound that was pretty intoxicating and hit like a fucking truck, but it didn’t have the same lasting power it did for me as it seemed to with many others. It was a far cry from bad by any means, but nothing to go crazy about and I was wondering how Gatecreeper was going to approach their second full-length when they got around to making it. Well, to say that “Deserted” can even be considered on the same level as its predecessor would be to shame this spectacular display of power that’s at an absolute peak the likes of which I could’ve only hoped from Gatecreeper. Right from the devilishly psychedelic cover art, Gatecreeper isn’t leaving any survivors with this effort as it takes their venomous sound and transforms it into a maddening creation that’s an increase in every single way from the vicious riffs to the non-stop energy. Each track that adorns “Deserted” becomes increasingly more infectious as this album continues to show absolute dominance with absolutely scathing death metal the likes of which has been done before, definitely, but there’s such a speedy up in badassery that Gatecreeper owns like a fucking champion that it’s impossible for me not to be taken to my knees with this magnificent display of force.

Whether you want your blood to boil or your ears to melt right off, “Deserted” provides so much glory in every song here that it’s very hard for me to not consider this as one of the most earth-shatteringly awesome albums this year has thrown at us. Gatecreeper made a name for themselves with their first full-length and it’s with their second that they should rightfully be considered one of the new faces of modern death metal especially if they continue the trend.

“Deserted” releases on October 4th via Relapse Records!

PRE-ORDER “Deserted” via multiple sources here.

LISTEN to singles from “Deserted” on Bandcamp here.

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