GORGUTS - Obscura
May 27, 2015, 9 years ago
(Century Media)
Quebec death metallers Gorguts really did something special on Obscura, originally released in 1998 and here reissued by Century Media. The album, released during a quiet time in death metal, combined surreal chords and time changes with an unsettling, raw production and a vocal approach that was far removed from the Cookie Monster style of the day. The result was astonishing: it was a death metal album that moved the soul, not just the gut. And it still moves today: the title track, "Earthly Love" and "Carnal State" is an absolutely marvelous opening trio of tunes, the combined effect of the three making the listener feel like they've just experienced something huge, epic, expansive, when the reality is the longest of those three cuts is a mere 4:04 (oddly, the first two are both 4:04).
I still love that unexpected groove breakdown in the amazing "Nostalgia", and "Clouded" is as powerful as mid-album 10-minute slow-churners get. As the lengthy album goes on to its final third, it's easy to get a bit tired out, as the band just continue to innovate and force you to examine not just how fast you can air drum, but how intensely deep you can allow extreme music to penetrate your soul. The band has released amazing albums since, but Obscura is so far untouchable in its ability to move the listener like no other death metal album.
