After literally years of waiting for this fifth Gorguts album to drop, here it is! Like last time, Season of Mist is the label of choice to convey their latest creation to the world. With some new faces in tow (some of whose names and previous work are very familiar), Luc Lemay has evidently bided his time, tinkering with, and perfecting the music here before its unveiling. It hardly seems possible that twelve years have elapsed since ‘From Wisdom to Hate’ appeared, steering the band slightly away from the unhinged tones of 1998’s much lauded ‘Obscura’. Personally, my favourite album – for its rumbling, grizzled sound and shredding brutality has always been 1993’s ‘Erosion of Sanity’. The big question then, having waited so long for ‘Colored Sands’, was always whether Lemay and his new band of ultra-talent might head back that way or continue their journey into mystic weirdness?
The odds – given Luc’s ever-evolving quest for musical proficiency – obviously always pointed to the latter. As the album begins however, with ‘Le toit du monde’ (which I believe refers to Mount Everest ie the roof of the world), my vague hopes are given cause for optimism, with a brief blast of oddball riffs and the tightest drumming to grace any of their albums. Some strange mythical tones, characteristic of the last two offerings follow, and go on to contrast with slabs of discordant heaviness dropped one after the other. Beyond Lemay’s distinct vocals, the whole is unmistakably Gorguts; a mix of the tortured and the ethereal before finally disappearing into the abyss. The first impression then is of something more akin to the technical-minded latter efforts than anything early 90s – so no real surprises there then. By song number two, ‘Ocean of Wisdom’, a leaning towards all things philosophical and ‘Obscura’-ish is really cemented. Aside from reinforcing Longstreth’s credentials as drummer par excellence, as strands of otherworldly guitar layer over his merciless, intricate patterns, the track essentially meanders as if questioning even its own existence.
As the album continues, this sense of a musical exercise imbued with abstract spiritualism is constantly there. If memory serves me correctly, the conceptual inspiration for this is all things Tibetan. Just as that subject matter was meticulously researched for ‘Colored Sands’, so too has every piece of composing evidently been conceived in minute detail. Like the previous two albums, it is the exception rather than the norm for the band to break out headlong, blasting a la ‘Inverted’. Rather, it is the case that the tracks here materialise into being, often with an air of complete menace which occasionally manifests into speed. The title track is quite indicative of this as it conjures audio images of (colored) sands being displaced by timeless, driving winds. A bit of blasting and curious soloing is all that interrupts its semi-cosmic, spiritual mission. Protracted is perhaps the best way to sum the album up as a whole: from the abrasive, impenetrable ‘Ember’s Voice’ to the alienating marathon that is ‘Absconders’. Even closing number ‘Reduced to Silence’, which features some excellent drumming, bass melodies and weird guitars is a total lingerer.
Of the whole, two tracks (which appear side-by-side) stand out. First is the orchestrated halfway point of the record, ‘The Battle of Chamdo’. Coming across like an unsettling combination of ‘Jaws’ and ‘Psycho’ set in a dramatically historic context, this track surely advertises Luc Lemay’s credentials as a film composer of the future. Second, is the nuanced tech-fest ‘Enemies of Compassion’, which has the main-man’s agonised vocals breathing all over it. There are some truly excellent touches along the way – from jazzy flashes combined with ultra-precise death to lush tones and frantic, creepy solo sections.
Overall, ‘Colored Sands’ is a challenging album. It goes without saying that the musicianship is of the highest calibre (as is the production), but composition-wise, it’s often inaccessible and far too long for any kind of casual listen. While it would be completely naïve to assume that Gorguts’ atmospheric fifth album won’t sink in over time, for now I just haven’t been swept away by the ‘mind blowing storm’ advertised in the press release. The most justice I can do it at this point in time then, after various concentrated listens, is to award it a suitably cryptic:
(?/10 Jamie)
14/08/2013 at 11:42 am
This may well be the best death metal album of the past 15 years. I had no expectations for this album to be honest, and I was completely floored by it. I expected greatness from the Carcass album this year, but the Gorguts album far exceeds it.
FWIW, here’s my review of it:
http://universenumberfive.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/album-review-gorguts-colored-sands/
15/08/2013 at 8:15 am
Nice review, UNF – especially liked the Marvin Lemay bit! Best death metal album of the past 15 years?? I guess only time will tell for me but I was definitely happier to sit on the fence than burn it down here.