One of this year's best death metal records, in the flesh.
Text, Photos by Anthony Scanga (@ras_visual) at
Wooly's in Des Moines, IA on October 4, 2024:
Dark Superstition is in heavy circulation worldwide, pushing Sonoran death metal unit Gatecreeper even further up the flooded genre ranks to both instrumental and critical heights. It's a massive record, excelling in a scope that is better felt in the live setting. On the night of October 4th, the "stadium death metal" tag that has followed the band was ever so felt at Wooly's in Des Moines.
Though small in its 600+ capacity scale, Wooly's felt grand throughout the album spanning setlist that featured prime selections from Gatecreeper's repertoire. A ruthless Puncture Wounds opened the night with great flare and continued into a flurry contrasting the down to earth gentlemen we shot promo shots with earlier that day. They become a new breed of monster on stage, as the performance of personal favorite Caught In The Treads can attest to.
With Oakley shades and a commanding stage presence to boast, Chase Mason led Gatecreeper into a memorable night celebrating the consistency of their output and the culminating musicianship that they've achieved up until this point. The guitars of Eric Wagner and Israel Garza roared on as Craving Flesh, From The Ashes, and Sick of Being Sober among others reverberated amidst the vibrant many in attendance. The night then came to an end once the electrifying Flamethrower hit the stage with its memorable lead riff, providing one with a gem to go home with.
We've documented a night of Gatecreeper time and time again, and for as long as the band continue to deliver big, the pattern is expected to continue. Whether it be Des Moines or Los Angeles, the band continue to light a fuse wherever they set foot and remain among the strongest death metal acts of today. Our photos provide only a glimpse of the madness.
Dark Superstition is available now via Nuclear Blast Records (Listen).
