Review Summary: So much more than what you expect
With Gatecreeper you’re assured of three things: huge chunky riffs, abrasive vocals and thunderous production. TLDR:
Dark Superstition is no exception in this regard. Thank you very much for your attention everyone, don’t let the gate hit you in the behind as you creep out! Realistically, of course, there was never much doubt upon Gatecreeper delivering on their hallmarks, but what
is unexpected is just how revolutionised their methodology is here. After all, as the old adage proclaims, ‘expectations make an ex out of pecta and tions’, or however it goes. Indeed, the third full length release (and first under Nuclear Blast) from the Arizona quintet has something else to offer besides their usual spicy death metal shenanigans. It’s much more fluid and generally a much more digestible affair this time, eschewing a lot of the previously bludgeoning textures in favour of a heavily rock-influenced sound. Yeah, boo, hiss, muh junz etc etc. Don’t worry, it's all still liberally coated with the familiarly thick metallic tar that gives that satisfyingly flavourful death metal robustness; it simply offers much more in the way of structural refinement- structure that brims with creative riffs and infectious melodies that wriggle into your brain like N. fowleri, that is. This newer sound will take a little adjusting to, especially for those grinding their teeth in anticipation of that brutalisingly distinctive Gatecreeper brand of chaos, but despair not!
Dark Superstition is a markedly tighter album all around, and has a longevity that eclipses even that of its impressive predecessors. What we have here is a collection of huge melodeath riffs flanked by almost industrially heavy percussion, all shot through with a hardcore edge and brooding doom sensibilities.
Dark Superstition plays as if the sound from previous Gatecreeper albums had been stretched out like a drumskin, bestowing it with a tighter, doomier feel but retaining the heaviness the band are known for. There’s the slowbuild trampling of ‘The Black Curtain’, the groovy abandon of ‘Caught In The Treads’, the galloping intensity of ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Mistaken For Dead’… it’s a collection far richer than anything the outfit has released previously. The band have evidently treated their last LP
Deserted as a jumping off point to engineer something more multi-faceted, and as much of a departure as this release represents, it cannot be denied that the evolution exhibited is a genuinely organic one. Opener, ‘Dead Star’, lays intentions out immediately, with a huge, Cathedral-esque riff and tantalisingly cymbal-heavy drum patterns, creating an enveloping din that manages to be both epic but digestible, all drizzled with the signature Gatecreeper sauce. A heavily rock-influenced song structure and entertainingly dexterous solo give the piece extra dimensionality, and the thumping outro leads wonderfully into the remainder of the album. This is the LP’s main stylistic overtone, and it effectively develops throughout the album with a precision before now unseen in the band’s output. The aforementioned ‘Caught In The Treads’ employs a rattling percussion that punctuates the final throes of the song like a jangly machinal clank against the uproarious battle cries of the vocal, selling the atmospheric intensity with the startlingly nuanced conviction of the instrumentation. Such experimentation is found in almost all areas of
Dark Superstition in ways big and small, but it all speaks to a band fearlessly progressing their style in new and engaging ways.
The release is informed by a conceptual preoccupation with the supernatural, and this is bolstered immensely by the consistently huge production that evokes ideas of cosmic scope wonderfully. The minute-to-minute fluxes between intensity and glacial broodiness dovetail exceptionally well in solidifying these themes, and allow the overall tone of sweeping, wretched grandeur to flavour the experience whilst the musicality remains anchored in subverted, old school death metal tropes. It all gels brilliantly and is always disarmingly catchy, with surprising lurches into chunky brashness that lodge themselves in the brain like an earworm pop composition. ‘Superstitious Vision’ is glorious in this regard- satisfyingly heavy but structurally reinforced by a lovely melodic riff that manages to balance urgency and beauty in an impressively powerful manner. There’s a newfound refinement to the songs in general, and, although the album is only a shade under the running time of
Deserted, it feels far more concise. Supplanting a lot of the lengthier barrages of previous albums with riffs that contort like coiling snakes, there’s an intuitive musical interplay that extends beyond the hubris of the former knuckle-dragging Gatecreeper fare. Far less focus is placed upon creating an impenetrable onslaught of heaviness, and a far greater, pinpoint-accurate focus is levelled at more atmospheric, structurally conventional songwriting. Exemplifying this is the memorable closer, ‘Tears Fall From The Sky’; a morose, lengthy doom metal excursion with a turbulent melody and virulent death metal edge to offset the broodiness. A true album standout and one of the most intriguing songs of Gatecreeper’s career, it’s a fitting conclusion that encapsulates the album’s emphasis on detail and atmosphere working in tandem.
Dark Superstition is not what I expected, at all. I didn’t expect the sound to be so melodically refined, or to have as much of a lasting impact on me as it did- moreso than either
Sonoran Deprivation or
Deserted. Offering an impressive amount of staying power thanks to its cavalcade of memorable asides and licks, it has a tighter musical infrastructure and demonstrably more substance to its subject matter than anything the band has previously produced, retaining that unblinking aggression but purveying its themes through the music with remarkable care. Like many of the genre’s greats, there’s a palpable effort to burrow into a niche that lays groundwork for the future, but the high level of polish and individuality in sound ensures that these labours at no time feel misguided.
Dark Superstition is a concoction that is less eye-watering to be sure, but also far more consistent, interesting, and catchy, whilst all the while keeping a firm handle on that leering menace that a Gatecreeper release simply could not be without. It’s a sharply produced, superbly written and riff-laden monster of an album that sets the band several steps ahead in their musical journey, in addition to affording them status as ones to watch on the scene (if any further confirmation was needed). Along with
Coagulated Bliss, this is one of the finest examples of audacious sonic development in the genre in recent years. It’s not what I expected, but it’s what I wanted and so much more.
