(mini-review)Gorguts are commonly mentioned alongside Atheist, Pestilence and Cynic. The absurd technicality didn't really hit until after this album, but Considered Dead is still considered (pun intended?) a tech-death classic. By Gorguts standards, this is a fairly straightforward release. It sounds like early 90's death metal. If you love early 90's death metal as much as I do, no worries. If you're looking for something as inhuman as 1998's Obscura (not to be confused with the AMAZING band of the same name) and 2001's From Wisdom to Hate, you might be disappointed. This record has its core competency aligned with Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse. In other words, it's more of a back-breaker than a head-scratcher.
A few of the tunes are downright catchy. "Disincarnated" is enhanced by flowing, tractile lead guitars that pervade most of the other tracks. Overall, Considerd Dead has a New York feel to it, even though the band members hail from Canada. The music is dense and claustrophobic. There are speedy sections, but the devastating mid-tempo passages stood out for me. Guitar god James Murphy contributes a whirling, vorticose solo to the mammoth "Inoculated Life." When you resort to using a thesaurus to describe a guitar solo, you know it kicks ass. Chris Barnes appears on three songs, my favorite being "Hematological Allergy." The Gorguts guys should have asked him to growl on the entire album.
A few of the tunes are downright catchy. "Disincarnated" is enhanced by flowing, tractile lead guitars that pervade most of the other tracks. Overall, Considerd Dead has a New York feel to it, even though the band members hail from Canada. The music is dense and claustrophobic. There are speedy sections, but the devastating mid-tempo passages stood out for me. Guitar god James Murphy contributes a whirling, vorticose solo to the mammoth "Inoculated Life." When you resort to using a thesaurus to describe a guitar solo, you know it kicks ass. Chris Barnes appears on three songs, my favorite being "Hematological Allergy." The Gorguts guys should have asked him to growl on the entire album.
Sorry, but I'm not a fan of Luc Lemay's vocal style. It's a subjective thing. I can't really put it into words. It just doesn't register with me. Lemay sounds very average against Barnes, who was in his prime when Considered Dead was recorded. Having said that, this should be required listening for death metal novices. I have a soft spot in my rotting heart for simple, bludgeoning death/thrash, and this cassette tape (you heard me) fits the bill.
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