Other states may bear more significance for metal, but Arizona is not without its history. Soulfly’s Max Cavalera, best known for his time in Brazilian thrash pioneers Sepultura, calls Phoenix his home. Jason Newsted got his start in the neighboring Flotsam and Jetsam before Metallica called upon him to replace Cliff Burton. And the Metal God himself, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, was even the publisher of a Phoenix entertainment paper, Where It’s Hot Weekly. As far as current bands go, there aren’t many, which makes Arizona death metal group Gatecreeper all the more special. After an affirming debut demo tape in 2014 and a series of splits, they’ve finally extended their reach on their first full-length, Sonoran Depravation.
Gatecreeper stand out not by aping one particular style of death metal, but by acting as a polyglot of various classic bands. Their demo was prime Swedish worship, and considering the slew of hardcore bands that were drawing from Entombed’s buzzsaw sound—Nails and Trap Them chief among them—an American version of the pure thing was long overdue. Depravation still carries that influence; most records that Kurt Ballou has a hand in do. (Ballou, metal producer and guitarist of Converge, mixed Depravation.)
They also show a devotion to Florida legends Obituary’s ethos of keeping things as uncomplicated as possible. In the late ’80s, Obituary stripped the gothic trappings of Celtic Frost’s mid-paced stomp and brought it to its barest essence, and in Depravation’s groovier sections, that tradition lives on. Sometimes, Obituary is directly referenced, like in the main riff of “Lost Forever,” or the turn to death-doom in “Patriarchal Grip.” In the latter, Gatecreeper slow the tempos to put as much weight on the riffs as possible. It sounds like they could give out at any moment in the Arizona heat; when the pressure’s on, that’s when they’re at their heaviest. “Grip” is an experiment in applying Asphyx’s thick riffing to their interpretation of Entombed’s guitar tone, and what a fusion it is.
When Gatecreeper crank up the speed on “Desperation,” the Obituary ethos becomes more spiritual than direct. This is a track that cannot be bogged down by excessive soloing or a sudden drone dirge. It’s an aerodynamic boulder—bulky riffs blessed with a nimble lightness. Even in the album’s rare flourishes, like “Flamethrower,” bearing their most Swedish lead work, Gatecreeper always bring it back to the direct, crushing riff. “Slave,” from their demo, ended with a doomy riff that could have gone on forever, and the album is rife with similarly hypnotic moments. That’s another layer of “Lost”’s appeal, and “Sterilized” ends with a chunky, palm-muted, NYHC-esque breakdown that Suffocation would be proud of. Just when Gatecreeper are on the verge on riding a riff too long, their inner John Tardy kicks in. Nothing goes to waste. Depravation eschews technicality not to cover up for a lack of adventurousness or ability, but to affirm the band’s real talent: getting the most out of every riff.
Depravation arrives not long after another of Gatecreeper’s key influences, Bolt Thrower, announced their breakup. These retirements will become more common over time; even touring machines like Cannibal Corpse and Deicide won’t go on forever. Younger bands, like Gatecreeper, must keep death metal alive with their own stamps. Sure, the classics will (hopefully) always be in print and on services somehow, but Depravation is necessary because it shows that there is still life even in the most rudimentary of the genre’s characteristics. Simplicity works when it’s durable, and Depravation is unwavering.
