If there were any doubt as to what musical magic France's Gorod are capable of, just check out the build in Aethra's opening track, “Wolfsmond”, the band utilizing smart songwriting, tech-death, catchy groove, and a sort of syncopated climax that just explodes into a totally raging, melodic, triumphant guitar solo. It's Lamb Of God on Willowtip, which has more or less summed up this cool band from the get-go (indeed, their first three full-lengths were on Willowtip). 

“Bekhten's Curse” follows up the first track and proves it's no fluke, the opening riff sounding like Arch Enemy with teeth, the slower groove that follows like Gojira heavied up, the song just getting weirder, and cooler, as it goes on. What a stunning duo of openers here, Gorod here on their sixth full-length (and first for their own Overpowered Records) totally nailing what makes them good, and doing it through a perfect production for their sound, one that is incredibly clear but not too antiseptic. Elsewhere, the band lays down surprisingly clean and not distorted tech-death that incorporates melody but never in a predictable manner; all of the above are Gorod hallmarks but they've just grown into it all so confidently over the years, Aethra sounding positively relaxed at points, even when the band is delivering manic tech-death and progressive extreme metal of the most intense varieties, as songs like the high-strung yet totally under control “Chandra And The Maiden” prove, Gorod delivering razor-wire riffing and caffeine-jitter drum patterns with a surprising amount of ease and grace.