“This can’t be how I lose everything I love.“
Despite Halloween festivities concluding the night before, the horrors didn’t end on November 1st. In fact, the true terror was only beginning as Arizona’s own death metal revivalists, Gatecreeper, stormed into London, dragging their primal riffs and relentless energy across the Atlantic to deliver a night drenched in old-school death metal filth. Combined with brutality from the crossover band, Enforced, and gory atmospheres from 200 Stab Wounds; Gatecreeper transformed the venue into a chamber of unrelenting grooves and guttural howls, effortlessly summoning the true death metal experience as part of their Dark Superstition tour.
Words by Emily Cole, photography by Angelina Emmanuel, contact before to any use.
Enforced
Once the sea of metalheads had flooded into the venue, Enforced commenced this night of pure OSDM fury. Originally from Richmond, Enforced harbour a sound that is sonically inspired by the speed and ferocity of thrash, old-school death metal’s grit and aggression, and slamming hardcore characteristics. The drummer, Alex Bishop, particularly stood out during their performance, providing the backbone of each track with a blend of groove, intensity, and insane double-kick rhythms that set the energy levels high from the start. The sonic assault was further enhanced by the bassist’s thick, fuzzy tones, that were perfectly complemented by Knox Colby’s hardcore-esque, harsh vocals that cut through the instrumentation with a visceral edge. They set a fierce quality for the night, giving the audience a brutal taste of what was to come and leaving no doubt that the evening was only going to get heavier.
200 Stab Wounds
Following in the bloodied footsteps of Enforced were Ohio-based death metal four-piece, 200 Stab Wounds. Known in the death metal scene for their screaming guitar riffs, grotesque lyrical themes, and stand-out name, their stage presence was greeted with a well-deserved sea of horns and banging heads. As the lights splattered the walls with red and the “Gross Abuse” of the ears began, the crowd truly became a Slave to the Scalpel. The band played a wide variety of tracks from their well-loved debut album, including the appetising “Itty Bitty Pieces”, and their most listened to and equally as vile song, “Tow Rope Around the Throat”. Additionally, they introduced tracks from their sophomore album, Manual Manic Procedures, including its leading single, “Hands of Eternity”, which subjected the audience to eerie soundscapes, chuggy breakdowns, and Steve Buhl’s gritty vocal style. As the band delved deeper into their performance, it became clear that the crowd had rightfully surrendered to 200 Stab Wounds.
Gatecreeper
Last to perform were highly anticipated headliners, Gatecreeper, who take their appreciation for the old-school to a whole other level. As they took the stage, purple lighting bathed the room in a dark haze, amplifiers adorned with skulls loomed ominously, and thick plumes of smoke rolled across the floor, conjuring a doomy, Sabbath-esque atmosphere that felt more like a ritual than performance. From their vintage-inspired attire to their 00’s digital camera, the band visually embodied a sense of old-school authenticity that has rightfully had a resurgence.
Gatecreeper’s classic theme extends far beyond visual aesthetics, however, as the influence of OSDM is deeply weaved through every aspect of their sound. From the moment they launched into their set, the audience was immersed in their thick, crunchy guitar tones and blistering lead solos from Eric V. Wagner, that were filled with technicality and screeching harmonics. This was combined with Alexander Brown’s face-melting basslines that added a perfect amount of depth to every track and topped with Chase Mason’s iconic mid-ranged growls and occasional gutturals. They performed with complete professionalism and effortlessly commanded the crowd with their overwhelming hostility.
As expected, their set consisted of songs from the band’s latest album, Dark Superstition, including their self-proclaimed “sing-along” track, “The Black Curtain“, which practically invited the audience to join in with its raw, anthemic quality. They also played tracks from their older releases, including “From The Ashes”, which is featured on their 2019 album, Deserted. As they blasted through each song in their setlist, the engagement from the audience was immense, as the room erupted with mosh pits, waves of crowd surfers, and raised fists – all united under Gatecreeper’s old-school death metal banner. As I’m sure many fans would agree, this relentless performance truly felt like a homage to the original 90s scene; when metal was inaccessible, raw, and completely terrifying.
Check out our reviews of the recent Gatecreeper and 200 Stab Wounds records.