Considered Dead

Before the Gorguts began to be talked about in the context of one of the most original, advanced and visionary extreme groups that ever happened, the beginnings of this Canadian band were relatively normal and did not indicate such a strong break from generally accepted convention. The history of these gentlemen begins in 1989, when the lead guitarist/vocalist Luc Lemay creates a band and gathers the first line-up to play death metal that was gaining momentum at that time. After three promising demos, they recorded and then released in 1991 their debut "Considered Dead" - a prelude to Lemay's ingenuity.

At that time, the music of the Canadians did not differ in level from the more popular death metal bands such as Death, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse or Deicide, but even at this time there were original patterns and their own feeling. "Considered Dead" abounds in mid-tempo death metal, a large dose of heaviness and characteristic massiveness created by Scott Burns, impeccable technique, memorable motifs (despite their similar dynamics) and addictive, deadly atmosphere. The overall degree of brutality is significantly enhanced by Luc's vocal - one of the band's trademarks. This one is extremely raucous and hysterical, and at the same time with such a unique manner and expression that it's impossible to mislead him with other frontmen who similarly use their voice. What's more, by these vocals, the cadaverous atmosphere of the album sticks you into an armchair even more!

But "Considered Dead" is not Lemay alone - even though his vocals and guitar ideas lead the whole album. The others also keep a high level of composition as far as possible. Stéphane Provencher sensibly diversifies the generally mid-tempos and can blast hard, while Erik Giguere's bass occasionally breaks through the guitars and interjects modest ideas. Sylvain Marcoux's contribution is a bit weaker, as he only played two solos on the album (Luc Lemay is responsible for the rest, and James Murphy guested in "Inoculated Life") and generally has much less to say than the rest of the band. Anyway, the album is devoid of any glitches. Even if it's not the most original everywhere and lacks the madness of its successors, with such death metal hits like "Rottenatomy", "Bodily Corrupted", "Disincarnated", the title track or "Stiff And Cold" it's impossible to pass without emotions, especially when Morrisound death metal is highly valued.

"Considered Dead" therefore very well illustrates the first steps of Luc Lemay's group. Despite their strong influence from the American scene, the quartet created a portion of solid and addictive death metal music in this trend. Still not particularly twisted, but at a satisfactory level and engaging for subsequent listening sessions.

Originally on A bit of subjectivism...in metal

Often, when the genre of old school death metal is discussed, Gorguts is a name that comes up very often. And especially their debut album, Considered Dead, released in the golden year of 1991, and produced by the legendary Scott Burns at Morrisound Studios. That man knew how to make a band sound great (in terms of sound, of course). At first, I had no idea that they were a Canadian band, as they sounded exactly like an American band would sound at the time, but just to clarify, yes, this band played very American sounding old school death metal on this album. This four piece’s style was very much meat and potatoes, in the style of Malevolent Creation, Obituary, and maybe Deicide (but not as fast). Unlike their later work, in which they found their own sound, and in their next album The Erosion of Sanity, they gave a hint of that change, but only slightly.

Considered Dead is a thoroughly enjoyable album. Just take a look at that cover art, it looks awesome (also, what the hell is going on?). I wouldn't call it as essential as other “classics” such as Pestilence’s Consuming Impulse or Morbid Angel’s Altars of Madness, but it’s still very good. The production of this album is perfect. The guitar tone is monstrous, and thick, the bass is perhaps a bit buried, but if you listen hard enough, you’ll hear it (except for that break near the beginning of “Stiff and Cold” where you can hear it on its own). The drums sound pounding and intense, while still sounding very professional, which is hard to come by in most old school death metal. The bass drum sound is probably the most satisfying I’ve heard on any album, and that’s saying something. Luc Lemay’s vocals are ok. Much like most of the album, they are quite standard, but there’s something about his vocal patterns or how his voice sounds that’s quite odd. Instead of fast vocal patterns like most other vocalists in the Florida scene, he uses some sort of elongated growl. I can’t really put my finger on it. It just sounds rather strange and unsatisfying sometimes.

The album starts with what is probably the most beautiful intro piece to an album that I have ever heard, entitled “...and Then Comes Lividity”. I remember playing this one over and over again for fifteen minutes straight and not getting tired of it. Seriously, it’s that good. After that, we kick into the action with “Stiff and Cold”, which is one of the stronger tracks from this album and it has a very interesting, and unconventional structure. Other examples of songs on this album that use an unconventional structure would be the title track, which also happens to be a great song, much like “Stiff and Cold”. “Drifting Remains”, “Bodily Corrupted”, “Hematological Allergy” (which features Chris Barnes of Cannibal Corpse on backing vocals) and the sole instrumental entitled “Waste of Mortality” are all good examples of how Gorguts use rather unconventional structure in their songs. Speaking of songs, the top 3 on this album would be the previously mentioned “Stiff and Cold”, “Disincarnated”, “Rottenatomy” and “Waste of Mortality”. The intro to that song is, much like the intro, simply beautiful. If my grandma’s grandson was Luc Lemay, all she would ask him to do is play the 12 string. The weaker tracks that still aren’t even close to being bad, just slightly harder to pay full attention to are “Inoculated Life”, “Hematological Allergy” and “Bodily Corrupted”. What makes these tracks “weaker” than the others you ask? Well, the structure is quite strange, as previously mentioned, and it makes it very easy to get lost within the riffs. The riffs, especially the tremolo picking passages on the lower strings are slightly uninspired at times. On top of that, Lemay’s vocals are quite meh and get quite annoying especially the random vocal patterns. In addition, some of the riffs are relatively forgettable. On the flip side, at least they’re eventful and chock-full of tempo changes. This album is great if you like dynamic change in your music.

I’m not quite sure, but I think that there’s at least one guitar solo in each of the songs. Most of them are quite brief and very atmospheric. Unlike what other bands in Tampa were doing at the time (*cough cough* Deicide and Nocturnus. Just kidding, I love both of those bands). Perhaps if you were a guitar solo purist, you’d think they demonstrate a lack of skill, due to their simplicity. And so what? You can’t really find unbelievably virtuosic solos in most old school death metal, especially the very obscure kind. Oh, and I almost forgot, James Murphy, played a solo on my least favorite track of the album “Inoculated Life”. Let me tell you, that right there, is the best part of that song. It simply kicks ass. In terms of speed, this album crosses between relatively fast and mid paced. Sorry doom fans, there won't be no 60bpm passages here. Now onto the drumming, it’s not too bare bones and not too technically proficient, right down the middle, in between those two extremes. Most of the riffs are complemented with skank beats, or other beats that complement the riff well. On only two occasions do you hear any blast beats, so if you like blast beats or if you’re a fan of grind, you might be slightly disappointed in that category. There are many fills, most of which aren't too complex, but they fit the music well, much like the bass. Speaking of bass, there aren’t many standout moments for it, mostly because it follows the guitar, which is fine. The only moment when you can hear the bass on its own is on the 2nd track “Stiff and Cold” right after the blast beat part.

I don’t really have much to say other than that. If you’re a die-hard fan of old school death metal, you’ve definitely heard this one several times. If not, what are you doing? Go listen to it. Not in a rush. Also, do so several times, because this one takes time to fully digest.

Now this is a debut record. They really show what they're all about on this record, and what a time to debut! 1991 the year of tech-death. While Gorguts hadn't yet fully embraced the crazy technicality of many bands that year, they still crafted a great album. Even as Pestilence, Death, Carcass, Suffocation, Atheist, Cynic had made some waves and were pushing what was possible in death metal to the limit, Gorguts shows that the traditional style still had some life left to live. On the next album, however, Gorguts would embrace the technical death metal approach and a craft a sophomore grand slam. Today, we are talking about what came before the sanity eroded, back to the day when they were Considered Dead. Let's dive in, shall we?

So, predating their years of pure technicality, Gorguts debut is a classic example of traditional death metal. With vicious tone, mid tempo madness with some speedy, aggressive moments joining us as well as melodies that catch your ear, it displays the traditional ideas in a great fashion with some great examples of early Quebec death metal in tracks such as the classic, well-known and amazing, "Stiff and Cold" and other impressive tunes that will stick in your head "Rottenatomy" and the title track are great death metal songs. The problem with this album in my eyes is the lack of it keeping my interest the entire way through, which is very important. This is a symptom of a lot of early death metal albums and especially debuts from classic bands, so it is understandable and forgivable, especially since these bands usually craft better songs on later LP's. This is good death metal for sure, but very derivative, of course many things are such, but here it's in such a way that you feel like you could be listening to any old death metal album from the early 90's. Other albums that sound similar to this are Massacre's debut, the first two by Malevolent Creation, and many other records from the time. So my final say on the musical part of this album, is that it will have some great moments but overall, it lacks overall punch and overall memorability. Good thing next album is an improvement and sonically better in it's writing and execution. Now let's talk about the production.

Nothing really to complain about. The drums sound great and area played very well, the bass is audible in a way that's audible at times and sometimes just simply not. Maybe it's something about the human brain selectively hearing, but Asphyx's "The Rack" kind of has the same thing going on, but the bass is way heavier on that LP. The guitars on this album sound right dirty, my friend, they have a good dirty sound, and the riffs are executed very well with this tone. The tone is reminiscent of many albums at the time, and that isn't a bad thing at all because that tone is very nice. It can make you forget what band you're listening to sometimes, but unless you have short term memory loss, that shouldn't be all that big of a deal.

To close my thoughts on this, the album is good for what it is. A debut and they're not trying to be anything more than a good riff and drum driven traditional death metal band. And for the most part they succeed, but when it comes to originality and different ideas, their sophomore record and all the strange records after that really cement the Gorguts legacy and what they're known and remembered for in the death metal scene. They've went from traditional, to technical and now to an avant-garde, musical unit. While the sound is recognizable, it can be hit or miss. For these ideas of traditional death metal? An 82/100 is what I would say represents this record. Would've been an 81 without that sick James Murphy guest solo! This album is showing a young band that is still finding themselves and would go on to do different, unique and great things. So yeah, give it a listen if you like early 90's death metal, you'll enjoy some things more than others. Good debut, Gorguts!

-Nolan

Quite a strange album for me, despite it being pretty straightforward and traditional. The production for instance is sort of an enigma; I have a hard time pinning down exactly how I feel about it. Some of the riffs fly by in a forgettable murky blur. The guitars are sometimes too down-tuned, flat, or the treble comes across as white noise. Sometimes I like this. This album has a dirty aesthetic to it that I can find appealing. The drums are absolutely perfect. They provide an extremely solid backbone to the whole album. The cymbal crashes and the pummeling bassy blast beats are exhilaratingly loud, punchy, and clear. The bass itself is nice, though I wish it were a tad bit more prominent; It can get drowned in the mix a bit. The vocals are a bit generic, though startling deft at times. And the rapidly altering tempos keeps me somewhat engaged, but not enough.

I think a lot of good death metal has the ability to be simultaneously mind-numbing yet engaging, especially with dizzying technicality involved. But this album isn’t entirely sure what it wants to be. It’s not a technical masterpiece and it’s not so gross and disgusting or catchy and fun to stand out on its own in any way…


From time to time all the instrumentation really melds into each other to create an incredibly tight and seductive sound. But the catchy riffs are few and far between and the solos are drab and uninteresting for the most part, except for the last track “Inoculated life”, now that’s a sick solo. But I find this record hard to review because even after listening to it numerous times I don’t have a lot to say about it, which I think is one of this record’s downfalls; It’s worth listening to a few times, but will it keep me coming back for years to come? No. Probably not.


Last thing I want to say is, despite this coming across as a negative review; I think this album is good, just not great. It was their debut and they still were figuring out their aesthetic/purpose. I think the confusion of this album can be appealing to a degree; But in the end this is just a launching pad to the greatness that was to come.

After listening to countless different death metal albums this one... is an exception. First and foremost the sound production features a balanced sound, everything is clearly audible. The lead guitar dominates the sound while being supported by the vocalist who creates powerful moods with his growls and screams, following a clear rhythm that's beautifully composed, fitting exactly with the story told by the lyrics. The lyrics are exceptional too, because the themes reach beyond the blunt brutality and hate of religion demonstrated by many contemporary bands of the genre.

This one is about reaching the limits, both physically and mentally. About the threshold of life and death, stories from the fringe between those two. "Bodily Corrupted" is about the final painful stages of a horrid disease, while beginning to rot away while still living. "Stiff and Cold" tells the story of a mountain climb that's pushing the limits of the explorer. "Drifting Remains" gives us a glimpse into what will happen to a boat in a raging sea storm. And in my favorite "Disincarnated" the author speculates about what happens to our soul at the moment of death. It's purely fiction but captures and keeps the listeners attention throughout its 4:29 duration. These are just examples that show a unique combination of fascinating lyric themes that make up this brilliant album.

Musically every single fucking song on this album is absolutely astonishing. Technical proficiency on all instruments is paired with breathtaking songwriting and a music production that's almost perfect leave me nothing but to give this album a convinced 98%. Maybe what makes this album so special is its uniqueness within the discography of the band. Gorguts didn't do the same style over and over again like so many other bands but actually evolved and developed the sound further with every album. Because I love old school death metal, I'm glad they made this classic record on their journey towards some modern form of psychiatric death metal that can be heard on later albums.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Gorguts were never going to come out with something as bold as Obscura for their first release, and to expect that would be naive. Nonetheless, their debut album is one that I feel is underrated sometimes, perhaps because I once underrated it too, in the face of the monstrous followup The Erosion of Sanity and the later albums. Perhaps the boundary pushing nature of those later albums is really to blame for the somewhat mixed reception for the album I see sometimes. Taken on its own merits, Considered Dead is really quite good.

Following on from their somewhat Sadus-esque death/thrash demos, the Canadians found themselves at the acclaimed Morrissound studios in Florida recording their debut full length, with one Scott Burns producing. Talk about right place, right time. In 1990/91 the Floridian death metal scene was arguably at its peak. All the early classics (Leprosy, Slowly We Rot and the like) had been out for a few years by then, and this was the time of groundbreaking albums like Human, Piece of Time and Unquestionable Presence, Hallucinations and other less revolutionary but still stone cold classics like Cause of Death, Arise and so on. The eventual decline of the movement was still two to three years away, so Gorguts picked exactly the right time to burst onto the scene in this way. On the surface, Considered Dead seems to tick all of the right boxes. Morrissound. Burns. Guest backing vocals from Cannibal's Chris Barnes and a guest solo from none other than James Murphy of Death/Cancer/Obituary fame....and oh look! Dan Seagrave artwork! Though it must be said, this fantastically moody piece is a highlight of the man's portfolio, no doubt. Topping it all off is one of *those* classic Morrissound productions. Meaningless individual opinions aside, love or hate, this studio and the guys in it truly defined the sound of this music in its prime era. Personally I have nothing but respect and admiration for that. Considered Dead lands somewhere around Effigy of the Forgotten soundwise. Not as much skull splitting low end and less blurry guitar tone, but otherwise fairly similar.

Then to the music itself. Retrospectively, Considered Dead's fairly "standard" (if you like) old school death metal does pale somewhat in the face of the more progressive works of the time, and also Gorguts' own later achievements. In the context of 90/91, its a solid and enjoyable album and there's no reason why it shouldn't be perceived as such now, despite all the vaguely derivative points I mentioned above. What stops the album from being completely derivative is that this is still Gorguts we're talking about. Their riffs are still idiosyncratic and create a dark, morbid atmosphere to bring the album art alive. I really like the interplay between the two guitars, highlighted here by generous hard panning of each one to left and right which makes the distinctions very obvious. There's a couple of nice acoustic intros, too. The bass playing is solid and audible with a chunky tone, gets a solo in one track and occasionally provides a countermelody to both guitars resulting in some riffs that are quite rich in harmony (this would later be explored in more detail on the following album). The drumming is also solid and perfectly tight, though not quite as creative as on The Erosion of Sanity. Nonetheless, it fits this particular album just fine. Finally, the key ingredient: Luc Lemay's agonized and entirely unique sounding vocals (though I admit there is a vague resemblance to Van Drunen in places). This guy has always been my favourite death metal vocalist and on this album he shines, with a forceful and deep presence. The lyrics are more along conventional lines here, with some death, gore and Lovecraft themes that sit perfectly well amidst the songs.

Some absolutely killer riffs abound, for example the crushing grooves in the middle of the title track, the main hook from "Disincarnated" and basically every second of "Stiff and Cold" which also features an awesome acoustic introduction. James Murphy lends one of his signature leads to the closing track "Inoculated Life". If you adore punishing, vintage death metal then don't miss out on Considered Dead. It was even influential in its own way, judging by Disincarnate's album. The truth is they couldn't have done much better on this one.

I feel like Gorguts get a fair bit of sympathy and forgiveness for their really early releases due to the super-technical, off-the-wall stuff they decided to do later with Obscura and the like; it's almost as if, in light of these releases, their fans have desperately grasped for reasons to dub every single thing the band have ever done as an equally masterful endeavor. People regard Considered Dead with absurd levels of praise, even for an OSDM album (which is going to understandably going to have tons of unwarranted praise heaped upon it), but I can't shake the feeling that nobody would give two shits about it if the band hadn't been in the right place at the right time and done something special with themselves years later. It's really not bad or anything, just kind of... there.

Despite what anybody tries to tell you, Considered Dead has none of the idiosyncrasies that would make Gorguts their own special brand. It's a death metal album that could've been released by any one of hundreds of bands at the time, and the band who chose to release it has very little bearing on how it actually sounds. Musically, it's essentially a release that clings 100% to American death metal - you can hear parts of early Deicide and Morbid Angel in the fast and vaguely thrash-influenced tremolo riffage, along with a bit of the slower, more brutal, more contorting parts that Suffocation were doing at the time. A lot of the tremolo riffs here are pretty vanilla and simplistic - they're catchy, but only a few of them have memorable or clever melodies, so a lot of times they feel uncomfortably close to filler. A bit more consistently good are the solos (which are admittedly atmospheric for death metal at the time) and the eerie, muted-sounding bits of fast, chunky riffage that spasm and twitch in the mid-paced and slow sections of the music - these aren't very exceptional either, but as a tension-building element they are (and have always been) very good. The production of the album is another high point: while the guitar tone suffers in the same way most OSDM albums tend to (it sounds like there aren't enough mid-frequencies, which leaves the guitar tone sounding fuzzy and thin), the mixing leaves everything perfectly positioned, and my tape copy of the album, at least, has a healthy and pleasant amount of bass mixed in.

Really, my biggest problem with this album is that it never does anything of much consequence - it's fun, but I don't feel like anything it does is very noteworthy. Save for the two instrumentals, all of the songs sound too close to each other to leave much of an impression aside from a handful of pieces (mostly the solos and vocal patterns) that distinguish them all. The songwriting alternates back and forth between its slow parts and fast parts to a fault; considering that all the slow parts sound like each other, and all the fast parts sound like each other (and yes, this also becomes a problem in later Gorguts) it's unfortunately easy to get tired of the whole concept by the time the album is over. Luc Lemay's vocals are a mixed bag here - on one hand his vocal patterns are exceptional (that one near the end of "Disincarnated" is super-fun: "ONLYINCARNATIONCANNOWBRINGMEBACKTO MAAAAN-KIND"), but his tone of voice is still ridiculously irritating. It reminds me of a skateboarder making fun of death metal vocals while stoned off his ass, growling every word with the inflection of "DUUUUUUUDE" and "BROOOOO" and "MAAAAAAAAN". The way 80% of the growls seem unable to stop ascending in pitch really doesn't help, and as a matter of fact it might actually be the most annoying thing about this particular Gorguts album.

I really, really wanted to like this album more than I actually do. If there's one thing that everybody thinks is cooler than that guy who loves Gorguts, it's the super-snobby elitist whose tastes are so refined that he refuses to like anything the band released past The Erosion of Sanity and praises the band's first two albums as a true, untainted triumph of the avant-garde. Unfortunately, Considered Dead really isn't worthy of praise on that level from any perspective - it's just an unremarkable OSDM album that's kind of fun and catchy but could only be described as "life-changing" by people who have never heard music before in their lives. Timeghoul essentially took this release and improved everything that's wrong or unsatisfactory about it, so you might as well just go listen to them. In the grand scheme of things, this isn't worth much on its own.

When you think of death metal, one of the first bands that should roll off of your tongue should be Gorguts. The band has had a monumental impact on the scene with their willingness to experiment with progressive song structures and interesting jazz elements in their music. To date, the band has recorded four albums with Obscura frequently being listed as the finest. It is generally acknowledged that the band has scarcely put a foot wrong throughout their career and many are rightfully anticipating the release of their upcoming fifth studio album later in 2013. Of their releases to date, their debut, Considered Dead, is the most straightforward death metal album they have recorded and is an album that is synonymous with "fantastically-executed death metal".

The first thing many notice when first hearing this album is how much of a punch the guitar work really packs. Unlike many bands in extreme metal, Gorguts make use of only one guitarist and good lord can that one man riff. The ever-changing guitar work of Sylvain Marcoux is one of the best things about the debut release by the band. Whilst this is nowhere near as progressively-oriented as their later works, it still makes use of some great changes in tempo. The riffs to this release are many in number and are all well-written and have a lot of variety to them. Considered Dead utilizes many complex chord-based riffs, but Marcoux also dives into a seemingly never-ending barrel of creativity to pull out some catchy tremolo-picked lines. Stiff And Cold is a good example of how frequent the riff changes are on Considered Dead, switching between some constant picking riffs to power chords that could not be better placed. Hematological Allergy is the one song on here in which Marcoux gives a brief glimpse into the future of the band with its intricate structure and wildly contrasting tempos.

The drumming is powerful and Stephane Provencher's performance is as unhinged as the guitar work is. It is very rare on this release that the drum patterns will stay the same for more than a few measures and yet it doesn't feel disjointed, nor does it ever really let up in intensity. The double bass madness on Disincarnated is just one fine example of the nature of the drumming on this album - fast and nonstop with a balls to the wall attitude. The drumming during the more melodic section of the title track is another magnificent flurry of drum beats that stand out, leading straight into another point that should be made about this album - the sheer amount of melody to it. The melodic side of Gorguts does not come in the same vein as the Gothenburg scene's melody does, but it is clearly there with much catchier and more memorable riffs than many extreme metal bands could even hope to think up. This is one thing that helps Gorguts' albums to flow so well and sets them apart from the vast majority of their peers. A Gorguts album is one best heard in its entirety than trying to single out individual tracks from it.

The vocal performance on Considered Dead ranks up there among the finest in its genre, in my opinion. Luc Lemey sounds as though he is unleashing the spawn of hell when he opens his mouth on this release. His voice is both very low in pitch and yet completely decipherable, allowing everyone to understand perfectly the gore-flecked messages he aims to deliver. When this is coupled with the low-end rumbling of the bass guitar (courtesy of Eric Giguere), then the album completes an incredible lineup of technically proficient musicians. Nothing on this album really pushes the boundaries of extreme music as their later works would, but songs such as Rottenatomy have such incredibly dynamic tempos that it was obvious what direction the band would take on their next release. Considered Dead is an album that many will want to return to upon first listening to uncover all the majestic moments they missed upon their first listen whilst attempting to soak everything in.

This is a dose of death metal that hits hard with some enjoyable riffing, creative drum patterns, and demonic vocals. I highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't heard a whole lot of death metal and is seeking for a new outlet for their restrained anger to headbang along to, as they do not come a whole lot better than this.

Canada might not be the default metal capital of the world, but they've certainly got an answer for everything. Heavy, speed and thrash metal had all been answered from the north, and we rejoiced at the sounds of Anvil, Razor, Annihilator, Exciter and perhaps most importantly, Voivod. But when death metal began to blister and boil out of Florida, how would they respond to that? Very simply, by taking the essence of the Obituary and Death, stirring in some Pestilence, researching the chemical strands of brutality in secretive Quebecois laboratories, and then unveiling the monstrosity known as Gorguts. It's simple, really, gore + guts = Gorguts, an accumulation of subversive but blunt instruments that might very represent the first noteworthy Canadian death metal act (assuming we aren't counting the cult thrash brutes Slaughter).

Yes, this has that 'Florida' sound to it, so much so that it was even recorded at Morrisound with Scott Burns. Granted, that was a staple of the Roadrunner Records death metal stable in the 90s, but it's pretty clear that Gorguts were adopting the status quo here, and making only slight innovations on the sounds you heard from albums like Leprosy or Slowly We Rot. Thick and pummeling, low guitars, mild progressive tweaks in the songwriting formula, and Luc Lemay's tomb tapping, ghastly vocals, which are plainly influenced by Chuck Schuldiner, John Tardy and Martin van Drunen. Hell, Chris Barnes and James Murphy even make guest appearances on the album, so it's pretty clear what the Canadians were trying to achieve with this record. That said, despite an obvious level of effort, and the added personalities involved, I would not consider Considered Dead to be an A-lister of the late 80s/early 90s death metal wave.

It was appealing, and remains appealing to my own ghastly instincts today, but it simply doesn't have the same level of song power as Death or Pestilence were churning out. "Rottenatomy", "Bodily Corrupted" and "Drifting Remains" are all punchy numbers, with a degree of exploration during the bridge segments, and some excellent leads (love the one at 1:20 in "Hematological Allergy", for example), but the riffs are somewhere shy of jaw dropping. Still, there were not a hell of a lot of albums quite like this one during those times. Most of the enjoyment lies in the gestating skill of the musicians, and of course that Morrisound production. For some, that might actually be the deal breaker, but I find that albums sounding specifically like this one, Death's 1987-1990 catalog or Obituary circa 1989-90 are not too easy to locate.

If you enjoy that very dark, fat but processed sounding guitar tone with the inclusion of its thinner, surgical melodic sparks, then Considered Dead is really a given. It doesn't sound any worse for wear after 20 years, and it easily deserves a spot in your collection of Roadrunner death, right alongside Malevolent Creation's The Ten Commandments or Pestilence's Testimony of the Ancients. The lyrics are the usual festering variety, less medically inclined than Carcass, less offensive than Cannibal Corpse; the artwork is a classic Dan Seagrave, an aberration of animated bone and sinew stalking a wondrous, carnal crypt. Again, this is not the most memorable of death metal classics, but if you seek 38 minutes of old school, brutal, no frills death metal without raw sewage production, it's a reliable exit.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Let me start by saying that Canada is home to many good (if not great) technical death metal bands, including: Cryptopsy, Quo Vadis, Neuraxis, Martyr, Beneath the Massacre, and of course, Gorguts. Many of these guys would later be influenced by Gorguts, and thus following loosely in their footsteps in an attempt to make greatly composed heavy music. Gorguts has solidified its presence in the death metal universe upon giving birth to the well known and now classic “Considered Dead”. At the time of its release, it seemed to illuminate a certain presence that was not really common within the underground. Serving as a the start of a later successful career for these guys, the originality combined with complexity and brutality at times goes to show that this is a band that is not here to fuck around with stereotypical type death metal, but to further push the limits of experimentation within the music.

Not your typical death metal release, although some of the riffs are actually really just resembling of other death metal bands, Gorguts puts their own little twist on everything, which really shows that that these guys know how to properly express talent. Luc Lemay really knows how to “document” his guitar parts, with the utter picking of a very pissed off wilder beast attempting to catch and eat its kill. He incorporates a lot of odd time and signature changes, with many of them put in so perfectly as to constantly catch the first time listener off guard and always having to make them expect the unexpected. This is a cool and real original way (at the time it was, anyway) to draw in further curiosity among the metal universe as his intensity just keeps progressing further to the point where you’ll eventually pick up on it, and still want to bang your head even further. The jazz influence here is evident enough for you to notice it, and would also be even more prominent on their later releases. The roles of the guitars are to sing and just cut with piercing aggression and nonstop advances, but at the same time it later calms itself down and is able to progress further into a slower but still progressing interval loop that will eventually speed up again and again. This is one of the staple points for the raw Avant-garde sound that Gorguts is known for, and very rarely does it ever seem to cease to excite the listener, no matter which level. In other words, the leads are amazing, and the rhythm is still able to greatly hold its own on following with tremendous fashion. It is a definitely worthy groove to learn and follow. The bass can also hold up as it will tend to follow along with the guitar at times, but then introduces its own little jazz type “grooves” and fills that oddly enough add even more depth and variety to the sound, thus distinguishing the band from the rest as its own technical mastermind. The drummer’s performance on Considered Dead is one that I found very enjoyable; at least it is to the trained ear. It wasn’t spectacular, as it wasn’t too far away from anything that hasn’t already been heard before; but for a time for when the death genre was starting to further evolve, he didn’t do a bad job. Basically, the rhythm section did jus t that, keep up with the rest of the band. On their later albums the drummer is able to incorporate even more complex grooves and whatnot, but for this album, it gets the job done.

Luc’s vocals are sung with a typical death metal fashion, although among the endless and very deep sea of death metal vocalists on there, his tend to stand out and mix very fluently within the music. Although deep, of course, his voice presents a somewhat more darkened atmosphere, in a sense, the “aftershock” of his voice sounds that of a person shrieking in utter agony. As this does this job to enhance the overall feel and depth of the music, his vocals are also one of the trademarks of the band that will definitely be recognized anywhere by any “by the ear” fan. He is able to hold his own with his voice, and thus help push along the utter brilliance that is made through this band’s memorable and classic tunes. You can be anywhere and hear Gorguts playing and be able to easily identify Luc’s trademark “shrieking growl” with little to no difficulty or confusion what so ever.

All and all, with the rise of new ideas and diversity among the death metal genre, Gorguts still remains to be one pioneers of innovation of this experimentation of music, which is meant to stimulate the senses of all worthy listeners with shear brilliance combined with overwhelming complexity add somewhat brutality. This piece of art is surely the work of some very talented musicians that are entitled to a lot more recognition then they currently receive, as one of the influences of the technical death metal genre, these guys have come a long way to help ensure the precision of heavy music as we know it. I’d recommend Considered Dead for any metal fan, as anyone with an ear and appreciation for shear brilliance in brutality can enjoy this fine artwork put forth by one the greatest legends in death metal, Gorguts.

Tracklisting:
1. ...And Then Comes Lividity
2. Stiff and Cold
3. Disincarnated
4. Considered Dead
5. Rottenatomy
6. Bodily Corrupted
7. Waste of Mortality
8. Drifting Remains
9. Hematological Allergy
10. Inoculated Life


On their third album, Obscura, Franco-Canadians Gorguts would push the boundaries of what was meant by technical/progressive death metal. However, their debut album, which although not as progressive or technical was by no means simplistic, has become a classic of Old School Death Metal.

The Gorguts line-up was made up of Luc Lemay, the only band member present on all their releases, and Sylvain Marcoux on guitars, Eric Giguere on bass and Stephane Provencher on drums. Luc also performed vocals on the album and the accoustic guitar on ...And Then Comes Lividity and Waste of Mortality.

It says something about the obvious potential of the band at that stage, as well as the influence of their record label, that on this, their debut offering, they were able to secure to extreme metal legends to do guest performances. Then Cannibal Corpse and now Six Feet Under vocalist Chris Barnes provides brutal backing vocals on three tracks and guitar virtuoso James Murphy (Obituary, Testament, Death) plays an epic guitar solo on album closer Inoculated Life.

It’s a wonder Gorguts even bothered to get James Murphy in to do a solo when they are graced with two highly proficient guitarists. Yes, their solos are not as complex or theorised as Murphy’s but they still give the guitarists chance to show of their fret board skills. The riffs on the album are, in my opinion, some of the greatest death metal riffs ever written. Just listen to Stiff and Cold and Disincarnated and I guarantee you will be humming the extremely “catchy” riffs for hours to come. All the guitar parts on the album are very rhythmical, which is great, but it’s really Gorguts sense for weird harmonies that set them apart from their contemporaries.

Finally, an album where I can actually hear the bass guitar without having to sit there for five hours trying to pick it out, there are parts in this album where all the other instruments stop to leave the bass to do a solo. Check out the bass solo at the start of Rottenatomy and you’ll know what I’m on about when I say that Eric Giguere means business. Much like Steve DiGiorgio on Autopsy’s Severed Survival, Giguere’s bass playing provides nice accents to the songs which just enhance the overall effect of the album.

I just love the drum sound on this album. The guys at Metal Inquisition (if you don’t know this blog you already you should definitely check it out) are always complaining about how crap bass drums sound when recorded at Morrisound (I believe the terminology they used was typewriters) but the drums on this album sound perfect to me. The bass drums have a really chunky sound and they are always perfectly timed so you get really heavy beats. This fact alone just makes me love the drums on this album.

Luc Lemay, as well as being a great guitarist, is also a great growler/vocalist (whatever you want to call it). The vocals are all powerfully delivered and if you listen carefully you can even hear what he is on about. This is usually something about death or disease or decomposing bodies, the lyrics don’t really stand out but hey, it’s Old School Death Metal where it was about being as disgusting as possible, and the lack of initiative in the lyrical themes is more than made up for by the instrumentation.

I don’t really have anything negative to say about this album. Sometimes technical/progressive death metal can verge on the silly. There’s nothing wrong with that but I just prefer it a bit more down to earth. That’s the reason this is my favourite Gorguts album out of the ones I have heard: they used their imagination and instrumental skills whilst retaining brutality and all the other qualities that make Old School Death Metal so enjoyable.

My favourite tracks are probably Stiff and Cold, Disincarnated and Inoculated Life (mainly because of James Murphy’s solo).

Scott Burns has again, in my opinion, done a great job with bringing out the best of Gorguts in order to create and album which I believe will be a classic Death Metal release for use to come. The sound quality is fine and all instruments can be heard.

If you’re going to get a Gorguts album then buy this one. It’s a classic of death metal with great instrumentation, plenty of brutality and a massive amount of imagination and originality.

9/10

I must admit, I got this album in the "Two From The Vault" Roadrunner series, and hadn't heard it prior to this release. I had heard things about it, but mostly how amazing of an album "The Erosion Of Sanity" was. So I picked it up. It took me a couple times to get excited enough to give it a listen, and boy was I wrong about this album. "Considered Dead" totally stands on its own compared to "The Erosion Of Sanity", securing Gorguts as one of the best death metal bands of the early 90's.

Production wise, the re-release is excellent. Each instrument can be heard very clearly, and that is key to good death metal. I could name a handful of albums that sound like total trash compared to this one, but I won't. Of course, Luc's guitar and vocals are right up front the whole time, yet the mix is even and smooth. One great thing about this album is the opening track "...And Then Comes Lividity," which I consider to be the perfect opener for this album. This 43 second intro gets you ready for the assault ahead, and boy is it a big one. We then tear into "Stiff And Cold," the albums first heavy track. From here, the riffs keep coming, I and I will admit, I was impressed at how unique each song was. Luc Lemay really does know his stuff. Each song offers a new experience from the last, and it's a very fun album to listen to.

Back to the instruments. The guitars have a very distinct sound on this album, just like their sophmore effort. The riffs here are amazing; the ones that stick out most to me are the main riffs in "Stiff And Cold," and "Hematological Allergy," they are both so eerie and to me are the epitomy of what a perfect death metal riff is. Again, good job Luc. The drums are awesome, not too muddy yet not too shallow. Stephane Provencher does a good job of switching up between fills, which mixes excellently with the riffing being done. What I love about the bass is that it's not overpowering, yet still holds its own presence against the others. You will feel it in each song, but certain solos it becomes more evident. Really good bass work on this album, Eric Giguere doesn't just stick to root notes the whole time, he goes off and creates his own accenting melodies. And finally, Sylvain Marcoux does an amazing job of holding rythyms and throwing down leads.

As with "The Erosion Of Sanity," this album paints a picture for me. Luc Lemay tells us a story in each song, and after repeated listens it just gets better and better. Heres what I get out of each track:

1. ...And Then Comes Lividity: A simple yet powerful intro, almost the calm before the storm

2. Stiff And Cold: Being trapped on a mountain, with no way out other than being burried alive in the snow

3. Disincarnated: Leaving your body, and wishing to become human again

4. Considered Dead: Back in the fourteenth century, having a small disease pretty much guaranteed death

5. Rottenatomy: Lost in a jungle, falling prey to traps before you finally die

6. Bodily Corrupted: Much like leprosy, rotting to death as you breath

7. Waste Of Mortality: An amazing instrumental, really sets an eerie mood for someone who may waste their days here on Earth

8. Drifting Remains: Lost at sea, waking up and finding all of your friends dead, strewn about the water

9. Hematological Allergy: Perhaps the sickest track on the album...whats more disturbing than being allergic to your own blood?

10. Innoculated Life: Being born dead

Overall, this is an excellent album. I listen to it a lot, and it really flows nicely. Though it may not be as good as their next album, it's still a favorite of mine. With a guest appearance by Cannibal Corpse's Chris Barnes on the tracks "Bodily Corrputed," and "Hematological Allergy," as well as a guest solo by the legendary James Murphy on "Innoculate life," this is a must have piece of death metal history. If you can find a copy, snag it, you won't be upset that you did.