LIVE REVIEW: Gatecreeper @ Rebellion, Manchester

Despite being one of the bands that have spear-headed the revival of death metal, it’s downright outrageous that it’s been five years since GATECREEPER have graced our shores. Sure, there’s been a global pandemic in that time, but considering that the Arizona-based band hold a certain level of pedigree and respect within extreme music circles, their return to the UK is as appreciated as it is anticipated.

With punters filing through the doors of Rebellion in Manchester, it’s down to Cambridge-based death metallers CELESTIAL SANCTUARY to kick off proceedings and the flag-bearers for the new wave of British death metal do not disappoint. Although operating as a three piece tonight, rather than their usual quartet, the band’s tenacity for pulverising death metal is just as ripe and potent as it is when they are operating at full-strength. Thomas Cronin leads the assault in fine-fashion as his riffs combine ever so well with the back percussion and the gutturals snarls cut through the mix ever so effectively. Powering through a heft of material from last year’s stellar Soul Diminished, CELESTIAL SANCTUARY are the real deal and a band that is proudly flying the flag for British death metal.

Rating: 8/10

CRYTPIC SHIFT‘s trajectory over the last two years has been as impressive as it is curious. The Leeds-based technical death metal band wowed audiences across the glove with 2020’s Visitations From Enceladus, and now, as COVID restrictions are thankfully a thing of the past, the band are quickly cementing themselves as one of the hot properties in UK metal. Whilst performances last year, including Damnation and their own headline tour, featured the long and ludicrous Moonbelt Immolator, tonight in Manchester, CRYPTIC SHIFT opt for a more refined and precise delivery of their expansive brand of death metal. Opener Cosmic Dreams is a nice throwback to times before they exploded onto the scene and a triple whammy of (Petrified In The) Hypogean Gaol, The Arctic Chasm and Planetary Hypnosis showcases the deeper cuts of quality on their debut and the quartet more than deliver in the live environment. Whilst they don’t demonstrate the same aural blunt force trauma of CELESTIAL SANCTUARY or GATECREEPER, CRYPTIC SHIFT more than delivered, further bolstering their stock as one of the UK’s essential bands within extreme music.

Rating: 7/10

With Rebellion now being packed like a tin of sardines, it’s clear that the return of GATECREEPER to UK shores has been something that has been as anticipated as it has expected. The band have been cruising amongst the elite in death meal State side for some time and as we’ve looked across the Atlantic with the utmost envy, tonight, the crowd in Manchester are treated to a masterclass by a band who are, not only comfortable in their musical skin, but have the knack to ignite sheer chaos in the pit. Sweltering Madness is one hell of an opener as the sludge-tinged riffs from Israel Garza and Eric Wagner incite the swarming crowd to bang their heads in unison whilst frontman Chase Mason leads the line with the utmost conviction.

In the course of their headlining performance, GATECREEPER pull no punches and the receptive crowd lap up every pulverising riff and guttural snarl with aplomb. Desperation, with its high octane tempo, is an early highlight and incites sheer chaos in the pit, whilst the likes of Puncture Wounds and Barbaric Pleasures (from 2019’s Deserted) showcase the sheer tenacity the band have for top notch death metal. Plus, with a healthy splattering of cuts from last year’s unexpected An Unexpected Reality, GATECREEPER do more than enough to keep the crowd fixated towards the stage. It may have been five years since they graced our shores, but GATECREEPER firmly reminded everyone that they are the leading the pack in modern death metal. A masterclass of a performance.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Jess Robinson here: 

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