Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 08:33 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Crossover, Death Metal
Country: U.S.A.
Label: Relapse Records
Year: 2018
While metal community is arguing if ‘Firepower’ Judas Priest latest studio album is their best since 1990, at the same time even a deaf can hear that the album is rather too long. A 3-4 less songs wouldn’t stop Earth from turning around itself and probably would make the album more solid and yeap better (even though we all agree that it is a brilliant album indeed). On the other hand if we speak about the new split release from Gatecreeper and Iron Reagan it’s exactly the opposite that would make the release far better. We just need more material! But let’s take things from the start. Iron Reagan is the side project of Municipal Waste members Tony Foresta and Landphil Hall, plus Mammoth Grinder‘s Ryan Parrish and Mark Bronzino, and Hellbear bassist Rob Skotis. Richmond’s, Virginia finest crossover Thrashers join their forces with Arizona based sinister Death Metal act Gatecreeper. Both bands represent the new generation of Heavy Metal at its best and their collaboration is something more than just interesting. Featuring eight tracks with a total running time of just over fifteen minutes, Iron Reagan is offering five tracks and Gatecreeper three songs. The album is a mixture of blasting fast as a shark crossover thrash with extra energy and groove and powerful, ferocious almost terrifying death metal. It just can’t get any better than this. But I can understand if someone wants something more than just a 15 minutes long release. ‘Warning’, ‘Paper Shredder’, ‘Take the Fall’ and ‘Burn For This’ are pretty straightforward, catchy, frenetic speedy and taking you by the throat. All songs play with tempo variety and are dominated by the characteristic Tony Foresta’s screams and the gang vocals. 44 seconds of joyful crossover paranoia is all about “Proudly Unaccountable” that closes Iron Reagan’s track listing on’ Split’. Gatecreeper don’t need velocity to demonstrate their strength and deliver a slow exhibition of pure brutality on ‘Daybreak’. ‘Dead Inside’ and the closing track ‘War Has Begun’ worship old school Death Metal in the veins of Entombed and Obituary. The atmosphere is sick and ptomaine gets through your both nostrils. I know that probably what we have here are relics or leftovers from their previous/latest studio album releases and not brand new tracks. I really don’t give a shit as long as the final result is something so extraordinaire. Just buy it and smash your stereo. E-xce-llent!
