Considered Dead / The Erosion Of Sanity

Long out of print, Gorguts' first two albums, 1991's Considered Dead and 1993's The Erosion of Sanity, are re-released on one disc. These two albums bear little resemblance -- other than the gravel gargling vocals of Luc Lemay -- to the band that returned in the late '90s with the towering triumph of Obscura. Without the shadow of their latter-day classic, though, these albums would still be highly regarded and still stand up on their own as solid death metal. They certainly had the respect of their peers, as guitarist James Murphy of Death and vocalist Chris Barnes of Cannibal Corpse (who often took Gorguts on tour as openers) both make appearances on Considered Dead. There a tentative feel to the proceedings, though; everyone has their chops technically, but despite excellent riffage on tracks like "Stiff and Cold" and "Bodily Corrupted," there's a confidence that is suggested but ultimately missing. Perhaps the two years between the two albums or having Steve Harris at the helm in the studio helped, but regardless of the reason, The Erosion of Sanity is a much stronger picture of Gorguts. There aren't any guest appearances this time around, other than a bit of piano from Lemay; the band is focused and frankly a little terrifying as it whips through changes and throws in effective and subtle surprises like the sudden and brief vocal delay in the breakdown of "Hideous Infirmity." There are outstanding arrangements and writing throughout The Erosion of Sanity, too, and although it's hard to pick out the best moments, both "A Path Beyond Premonition" and the moody "Condemned to Obscurity" deserve mention. This is a band really pushing the boundaries of death metal, even as the genre itself began to lose steam. ~ Wade Kergan