On Arizona death-metal phenomsGatecreeper’s hook-laden second album,Deserted, the rightly laudedextremists upped the ante and blazed their ownlefthandpath. Shiny, pop-style production punctuates their stellar songwriting, which channels elements of Bolt Thrower, Obituary, Crowbar and other far-beyond-crushing influences. Frontman Chase Mason has called their approach “stadium death metal,” and while Gatecreeper may never play venues that big, they whole-heartedlydeserve to reach the masses. Fred Pessaro