A journey of musical madness

Arizona natives Gatecreeper have been creating chaos since 2013, and last month, the band shocked their fans with the release of their EP An Unexpected Reality. This record is a strong piece for more than a few reasons. Chase “Hellahammer” Mason uses his powerful voice to shout out the lyrics, Eric “The Dark Cowboy” Wagner’s guitar playing bleeds metal sound due to how each note surges with amazing swells, Sean “Hell Mammoth” Mears rocks the atmosphere with vibrating bass guitar riffs and the drum playing by Matt “Thunder Rage” Arrebollo smacks the background with hardcore drum beats that can cut to the souls of those who are listening. An Unexpected Reality is great because it displays who Gatecreeper is as a band through their instrumentation and vocals.

Opening song “Starved” is a short piece, but the band does welcome people to their maddening world through heavy instrumentation and authoritative vocals. While listening, it is nice to hear how well all the band members perform together because each guitar note, drum beat and vocal style brings craziness to this track with erratic sound. “Starved” is a short, hard-hitting song that shows how powerful Gatecreeper is through their music.

Blazing “Rusted Gold” is a quick but sweet composition that displays how strong of a vocalist Mason is while he is shouting out the lyrics. Throughout the whole piece, Mason’s vocals are powerful. He sounds intimidating while yelling out the lyrics, and his voice contributes to the energetic vibe the rest of the band is playing on. Mason rules on “Rusted Gold” because his voice shows what it means to be a singer in a metal band.

Wild “Imposter Syndrome” displays how talented Arrebollo is as a drummer. Although this tune is another short piece, the drum playing by him is solid; he maintains a steady musical pattern while drumming on a faster tempo. What is noticeably enjoyable is how the sounds of the drum shake the background with fast, thundering beats that can jolt the veins of those who are listening. “Imposter Syndrome” has great drum playing from Arrebollo, and fans could find themselves head-banging to the noise of fast moving drum beats.

Righteous “Amputation” is 31 seconds long, but the guitar playing by Mears and Wagner is amazing. Mears’s bass guitar playing can be felt through the vibrating riffs that shake the atmosphere with great authority, and each note can be heard humming heart-stopping noise. Wagner’s guitar playing electrifies the background with fast-paced riffs that helps with the nonstop madness on this track. Mears and Wagner shine on “Amputation” because both guitarists show how powerful music is through high-octane guitar playing.

Concluding track “Emptiness” is the longest piece on An Unexpected Reality, timing in just over 11 minutes, and the vocal performance by Mason shines brightly throughout the whole track. Mason’s vocals are on a different level because he is singing on a lower vocal range that allows him to shriek out the lyrics in a deep voice. “Emptiness” shows how talented Mason is as a singer, and it is nice to hear how he uses his voice to express deep emotions.

An Unexpected Reality is a fun EP that sounds great on high volume because the instrumentation and vocals shows what kind of a band Gatecreeper is through their surging instrument playing and well-sung vocals. Also fans should be excited because since making An Unexpected Reality, the band signed with Nuclear Blast and are working on a new album.