What are your thoughts on this incredibly talented, ground-breaking band? 

Sure, they started off emulating rather traditional Floridian death metal, but by their second record they were already creating some pretty transcendental stuff IMHO. 

Obscura is without a doubt their most progressive and experimental release (I'll even argue it's still higher than Colored Sands, which is still a phenomenal record).

What do you like/dislike about this band?

What's your personal favorite Gorguts song and album - if it's even possible to choose just one of each?

Obscura is their magnum opus for me, but The Erosion of Sanity is like, the pinnacle of extreme metal for its era to my ears.

Thoughts?

Agreed about Colored Sands being a 5-star album; I also agree that the later, more experimental releases are what truly put them on the map (although the first two album exemplify Floridian-style DM for me).

I got the chance to see Gorguts live at Maryland Death Fest shortly after the revival summer of 2010. One of the best sets I've seen live, given that 3/4 of the band weren't original members. Drafting Colin Marston and Kevin Hufnagel was a smart move on Luc's part. I was privileged enough to help them move their merch in at Sonar in Baltimore for that gig. Luc also wrote me a person note inside my copy of FWTH.

I also had the honor and luck of getting the chance to speak with Steeve Hurdle on an almost daily basis for several months before his untimely passing. He revealed a LOT about the recording process for Obscura, and what sort of lyrical concept kicks they were on at the time. Every incarnation of Gorguts has been nothing short of amazing.

Clouded is one beast of a track. It literally feels like your reality is collapsing in on itself.

Favourite Gorguts songs: Nostalgia (for the sexy solo bass part, I know it's probably the least technical song on the album), and the title track Obscura is an insane way to start an album. From CS, Le Toit Du Monde for its post-rock leanings (Colin Marston's influence maybe?) and Reduced to Silence because it feels like the album is unresolved when the last solo is played, the riff repeats and everything ends. But at the same time the abrupt ending suits the story or concept of the album.

HemispheresOfXanadu wrote: Colored Sands was one of my first two extreme metal purchases. May have overplayed it a little because the only other prog I had at the time was Yes, Rush and Tull and I wanted the heavy stuff at the time. Own Obscura now too, and both Cloutier's and Marston (Obscura and CS bassists respectively) have my favourite bass tones in death metal. Favourite Gorguts songs: Nostalgia (for the sexy solo bass part, I know it's probably the least technical song on the album), and the title track Obscura is an insane way to start an album. From CS, Le Toit Du Monde for its post-rock leanings (Colin Marston's influence maybe?) and Reduced to Silence because it feels like the album is unresolved when the last solo is played, the riff repeats and everything ends. But at the same time the abrupt ending suits the story or concept of the album.

Cloutier was/is an insane bass player; his technique was literally like nothing before it. That guy attacked and "flattened" the bass, as if he was using his entire arm up to his elbow to smack the strings. All of the technique used from Obscura onward by everyone involved has been absolutely nuts.

Nostalgia is one of my personal favorite tracks as well! Sweet Silence has an awesome ending that has always reminded me of a giant golem trudging through a foggy forest, finally losing steam, and collapsing to take a nap lol. I agree with what you say about the tracks on Colored Sands.

I could be mistaken, but wasn't it reissued on limited vinyl a year or so back?

Considered Dead just does it right, IMHO. Erosion is their early 90's masterpiece, but Considered is a slab of classic Floridian-esque brutality, combining all the best elements of Death's Leprosy and other late 80's influences. Plenty of separate guitar parts weaving simultaneously, etc.

Plus, the Dan Seagrave artwork just rules .

What other death metal acts were you listening to at the time? I also thoroughly enjoy Atheist, Pestilence, Malevolent Creation, Cynic (amazing), Cannibal Corpse (everything up to and including The Bleeding)...

So much classic stuff all happening between the years of '89-'93ish.

Carcass is also in my top five, as well! Necroticism and Heartwork might be my faves, although the first two records are essentials.

I could never get into Morbid Angel oddly enough, despite their huge influence on Gorguts. Obituary is classic DM, Napalm Death is legendary grind, Morgoth is a little less heard of; same with Massacra around these parts. Edge of Sanity might be my favorite Swedish extreme act (Crimson and Crimson II all day). Dismember, Entombed, Unleashed, Dissection; all classics!

I'm truly envious you got to witness Chuck Schuldiner live. What year/tour was it?! 

^That is truly awesome! 

Necroticism is definitely a gem; Incarnated Solvent Abuse and Pedigree Butchery are two of my favorite tracks.

Death is by proxy my favorite metal band ever. It's incredibly difficult for me to pick just one record, as I feel all of the works sort of tie together. Human and ITP are the peak for me, but I can't discount Symbolic or TSOP. It's all one big essential set for me, lol. If I'm forced to pick one as my favorite, I'd have to go with ITP. Human was my favorite for a long, long time, but I feel ITP just has a little extra "flair" in the progressive department; I'd argue it features Chuck's best arrangements. 

Symbolic is always heralded as the progressive peak, but the arrangements are incredibly linear in comparison to ITP. 

ITP had horrible production, but Symbolic has monster riffage throughout. There's always been a very audible trade-off there for me. Again, I can't denounce any Death; it ALL rules!

PrognosticMind wrote: Death is by proxy my favorite metal band ever. It's incredibly difficult for me to pick just one record, as I feel all of the works sort of tie together. Human and ITP are the peak for me, but I can't discount Symbolic or TSOP. It's all one big essential set for me, lol. If I'm forced to pick one as my favorite, I'd have to go with ITP. Human was my favorite for a long, long time, but I feel ITP just has a little extra "flair" in the progressive department; I'd argue it features Chuck's best arrangements.  Symbolic is always heralded as the progressive peak, but the arrangements are incredibly linear in comparison to ITP. ITP had horrible production, but Symbolic has monster riffage throughout. There's always been a very audible trade-off there for me. Again, I can't denounce any Death; it ALL rules!

Being a King Diamond fan I was sure Individual Thought Patters will be a solid record. I was right, Andy LaRocque is a true virtuoso he does no wrong. I like the arrangements too. It's not a pure death metal album though still a classic. In the early 90's Spiritual Healing was my fav although I started with Leprosy. When Human was released it wasn't better than Healing to me, now I think it is. It's just a difficult album to listen to. It sounds a bit odd, but the songs are just brilliant. 


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"Du gehst zu Frauen? Vergiss die Peitsche nicht!"

YES to everything you just said, lol. Spiritual Healing is an excellent record; I love those riffs. I play them all the time when warming up. There's an odd sense of subtle "progginess" or "jazziness" to tracks like "Altering The Future" and "Within The Mind" (by far my favorite track on that album).

ITP transcends standard DM for me, and I think that's why I like it so much. I don't consider anything from that point on to be DM at all; it's straight up progressive metal to the bone. I think Chuck felt this way himself, getting tired and bored with the labels and limitations so many fans and bands imposed upon that genre. Spiritual Healing was the turning point for everything IMHO.

That's one of the reason his work always stood out to me. It was never about "being metal"; it was about progressing at his craft, even at the expense of being ostracized (without judgement, what would we do?! ) by the very community he helped launch forward. To me, that is the true mark of an artist.

His lyrics always pushed for introspection via the listener. That's something that really hits home with me, especially in metal. Also, I believe Gorguts opened for Death on the Symbolic tour back in '95.

Ah yes, you're in Europe!

What a magical era for both Europe and the United States .

Carcass, Napalm Death, and Benediction were all excellent bands. I must admit that Bolt Thrower never "clicked" with me, despite being a massive influence for some of my favorite bands. I saw them live at the first Maryland Death Fest I attended, when they had to play a second set to fill in for Pestilence not being able to get into the country (you can imagine how pissed I was about that, being a large reason I traveled to MDF that year was to see Pestilence). I got to see Pestilence the second year I went though, and it was totally worth the wait!

Cancer "Death Shall Rise" (with James Murphy on lead) is an awesome record, btw.

Obscura is such a gem. It's more or less the apex of experimental metal for me. I'm so glad that I own an original pressing on CD; they were fetching quite a bit online a few years ago, though I'm not sure what the market dictates these days.

...I'd say it's still fetching a pretty decent penny .

Prog Sothoth wrote: Gorguts are cool. I'll always have a soft spot for 'Considered Dead' since I spun it a lot back in the early 90s. I swear, from 1990 to sometime in 1993 I bought any album with a Dan Seagrave cover sleeve.

The crazy thing is, you couldn't go wrong with any album just by buying it due to his artwork in that time period.

I have to agree with this. It wasn't worth more than $20 from 2000-20011ish, then all of a sudden it's going for almost $100 used. I got my copy for like $13 in 2005 .

It took me probably a good two years to actually start hearing what's going on on that record; now it can't be unheard .

Obscura took me years to digest. But as you said, once it hits you, it's like you've always known it. I liken it to a sort of musical enlightenment. Your avatar is awesome, btw.