'Having a full band has changed everything I never anticipated playing live, and I think part of me was worried that I wasn't good enough,' Garrett admits. In Garrett's opinion, bringing in permanent members has truly allowed Spirit Adrift to flourish. Garrett is now joined by his Gatecreeper bandmate, Chase Mason, on bass, guitarist Jeff Owens, and drummer Marcus Bryant. This record marks a new era for the band itself, too: since its conception as a solo effort, Spirit Adrift has now grown into a full band. As a result of these influences (as well as the use of his Gatecreeper equipment on the new record), the band's music has evolved into a fiery display of vintage sound that belies its creators' years. 'I have come full circle, and am obsessed with the bands that first got me into metal, like Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest.' Garrett said of Spirit Adrift's new sound. Meanwhile, heavier songs like the title track, 'Graveside Invocation' and 'Onward, Inward' are reminiscent of Master of Puppets-if it were played at two-thirds the normal speed. Towering, crisp riffs and subtle melodies carry Southern-inspired swells as Garrett's Arkansas roots shine through on songs like 'To Fly on Broken Wings' and 'Wakien, the latter a staggering instrumental composition that billows with majestic arioso. In its place is an aggressive, doom-informed take on classic thrash and traditional metal. The Sabbathian aura of Chained to Oblivion has moved away from the foreground. The album is out October 6 via 20 Buck Spin, and represents a bold new direction, conveyed with much greater ferocity. This coming Friday sees the release of the newest addition to Spirit Adrift's catalog: the solo project-turned-full band's second full-length record, Curse of Conception. Spirit Adrift released its debut album, Chained to Oblivion, in 2016 and returned earlier this year in a split with Denver doom rockers Khemmis. By 2015, Garrett had sobered up, moved to Mesa, and started Spirit Adrift as a conduit for his new lease on life that same year, he joined the ranks of local death metallers Gatecreeper. He spent his first few years in Phoenix, taking part in the local scene there and playing guitar for black 'n' roll outfit Take Over And Destroy. The move would ultimately prove fruitful for Garrett.

He had friends who attended a recording school in Arizona, and decided to follow a similar path in search of a new well of inspiration. He soon decided to leave Arkansas behind and move out West.

Master of puppets doom