Gorguts is a Canadian
death metal band from
Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional cou ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, formed in 1989. The band has been through many personnel changes since its inception; its only constant member has been guitarist and vocalist Luc Lemay, who remains the primary creative force in the band. To date they have released five full-length albums and one EP. Their most recent release is the EP ''
Pleiades' Dust
''Pleiades' Dust'' is the first EP by the Canadian technical death metal band Gorguts, released on May 13, 2016 through Season of Mist. It consists of a single track which runs for thirty-three minutes and is roughly divided into seven movements ...
'', released on May 13, 2016. Their latest full-length album ''
Colored Sands
''Colored Sands'' is the fifth full-length album by technical death metal band Gorguts. It is Gorguts' first studio album since 2001's '' From Wisdom to Hate''. The album features the band's first recordings with guitarist Kevin Hufnagel and bassi ...
'' was released in 2013 and was nominated for a
Juno Award. Musically the band is known for its complex, musically dense form of
technical death metal
Technical death metal (also referred to as tech-death) is a musical subgenre of death metal that began and developed in the early- to mid-1990s, with particular focus on challenging, demanding instrumental skill and complex songwriting.
Techni ...
, and has become "one of the most advanced, experimental, and challenging groups in the entire genre."
History
Formation, ''Considered Dead'', and ''The Erosion of Sanity'' (1989–1993)
Gorguts was formed in 1989 by Luc Lemay (vocals and guitar), Sylvain Marcoux (guitar), Éric Giguère (bass guitar) and Stephane Provencher (drums); the band name was suggested by one of Provencher's friends. They released their first demo, ''...And Then Comes Lividity'', in 1990 which led them to be signed to
Roadrunner Records.
Their first album, ''
Considered Dead
''Considered Dead'' is the debut full-length album by Canadian death metal band Gorguts. The album was released on October 8, 1991 through Roadrunner Records, with whom the band signed a deal following the release of their 1991 demo ...And ...
'', had guest appearances by
James Murphy (a guitar solo on "Inoculated Life") and
Chris Barnes (backing vocals on "Bodily Corrupted", "Rottenatomy" and "Hematological Allergy").
[
In 1993, they released their second album '']The Erosion of Sanity
''The Erosion of Sanity'' is the second full-length album by Canadian technical death metal band Gorguts. The album was released on January 19, 1993 through Roadrunner Records. Though it is now considered a milestone in the genre, the album's ...
,'' which was more experimental and technical than ''Considered Dead.'' However, this coincided with the decline of death metal's popularity as a genre, and Roadrunner Records subsequently decided to drop the band from their roster.[ The band ceased performing for five years, with many fans believing that they had broken up.][
]
''Obscura'', ''From Wisdom to Hate'', MacDonald's death and break-up (1998–2005)
In fact, the writing for the following album had been completed by the end of 1993, but due to a lack of label interest the release of the album was severely delayed. Lemay, the only remaining original member, returned in 1998 on Olympic Recordings with a new line-up consisting of Steeve Hurdle (guitar), Steve Cloutier (bass guitar) and Patrick Robert (drums).[ Under this lineup they released their third full-length album, ''Obscura'', which has come to be regarded as "one of the most pungently progressive albums ever made, in or out of metal."]
After ''Obscura'', Hurdle left and was replaced by Dan Mongrain
Daniel Mongrain (also known as Dan Mongrain and Chewy) is perhaps best known as a co-founder of the Quebec technical death metal band Martyr. He composes, sings and plays lead and rhythm guitar. Mongrain is currently a guitarist and composes as a ...
of the technical death band Martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
, and Robert was replaced by Steve MacDonald on drums.[ Gorguts' next album, '']From Wisdom to Hate
''From Wisdom to Hate'' is the fourth album by Gorguts, released on March 6, 2001 through Olympic Recordings and Season of Mist. The musical style can be considered a compromise between the previous album '' Obscura'' and the older albums '' C ...
'', was released in 2001. This album is stylistically a mix between the earlier albums and ''Obscura''. Lemay, the primary songwriter on the album, experimented more with the use of sounds, rather than notes, in riffs, such as the opening riff of the album, on the song "Inverted" which uses a combination of pick-slides, pick tapping and traditional picking.
Steve MacDonald, who had a history of recurrent depression, committed suicide in 2002, which eventually led to the split-up of Gorguts in 2005. In an interview, Lemay said that "When I decided to end the band in 2002 or 2003...after Steve MacDonald passed away, I was done with music and I wanted to devote myself to woodworking full time. I was very happy with all the achievements that the band accomplished so it was all good for me.....no bitterness and no feeling of unfinished business." Lemay moved away from Montreal, "because I was done living there. I wanted to be closer to where I was raised and be closer to nature in a way. After Steve's death I wasn't interested in playing music anymore. I was very content with the musical legacy of the band at that point and I was ready to start a new chapter in my life."
Reformation and ''Colored Sands'' (2008–2014)
In 2006, Steeve Hurdle asked Lemay to join Hurdle's band Negativa. Lemay accepted "on the condition that everything would be low key. It was all about having fun playing music for me. After a rehearsal Steeve pointed out that it would be cool to make a new Gorguts record to commemorate Gorguts' 20 years of existence. I was all for it and from that point the idea came to play with John (Longstreth – drums), Kevin (Hufnagel – guitar) and Colin (Marston – bass) and create a new record."
In December 2008, a Gorguts demo track with guitar and programmed drums surfaced online, and Lemay himself confirmed an upcoming reunion with Colin Marston, Kevin Hufnagel
Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...
and John Longstreth. While the new Gorguts had been performing live and writing new material, Lemay said that the band would not be recording until "late fall" 2010 with a release date some time in 2011; In May 2012, Steeve Hurdle died from post-surgical complications. Legal issues surrounding the band's previous contract to Olympic Records delayed the release of the album. Olympic were taken over by Century Media
A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c.
A centennial or ...
, and Lemay wanted to renegotiate the band's contract. "They agreed to, but in the end we didn't see eye to eye on things and we mutually agreed it was better to go our separate ways. Dissolving the contract was a very time consuming and complicated legal affair."
The band signed to Season of Mist and revealed that its forthcoming album would be titled ''Colored Sands
''Colored Sands'' is the fifth full-length album by technical death metal band Gorguts. It is Gorguts' first studio album since 2001's '' From Wisdom to Hate''. The album features the band's first recordings with guitarist Kevin Hufnagel and bassi ...
'', which was released on August 30, 2013. Inspired by Opeth and the album '' The Incident'' by Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
, Lemay intended to write more progressive songs with longer running times and increased dynamics. The classical piece "The Battle of Chamdo" was written by Lemay on piano and recorded with a string quintet. ''Colored Sands'' was nominated for a Juno Award.
''Pleiades' Dust'' (2014–2019)
John Longstreth, whose schedule with Origin
Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Comics and manga
* ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002
* ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...
was incompatible with Gorguts, departed the band in 2014. His replacement was Patrice Hamelin, who had been performing live with Gorguts since 2011. Lemay announced that Gorguts was working on a new album that would consist of one long song. ''Pleiades' Dust
''Pleiades' Dust'' is the first EP by the Canadian technical death metal band Gorguts, released on May 13, 2016 through Season of Mist. It consists of a single track which runs for thirty-three minutes and is roughly divided into seven movements ...
'', the resulting EP, was released on May 13, 2016. It is a concept album about the House of Wisdom in Baghdad during Europe's Dark Ages, and is the band's first recording with Hamelin.
On July 25, 2016, the band announced that they would be touring North America in October 2016 with Intronaut
Intronaut is an American progressive metal band from Los Angeles, California, that incorporates complex polyrhythms, progressive rock, and jazz.
History
Intronaut formed in 2004, and their initial line-up included guitarist/vocalist Sacha Dunabl ...
and Brain Tentacles in support of ''Pleiades' Dust''. Following this tour, Gorguts entered another period of relative inactivity.
Upcoming album (2020–present)
On June 29, 2020, Luc Lemay announced that Gorguts was returning from yet another hiatus and was beginning work on a new album.
Musical style and legacy
Gorguts' style of metal has evolved considerably since the formation of the band, evolving from a relatively straightforward death metal sound into an increasingly complex style of avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
technical death metal
Technical death metal (also referred to as tech-death) is a musical subgenre of death metal that began and developed in the early- to mid-1990s, with particular focus on challenging, demanding instrumental skill and complex songwriting.
Techni ...
. More recently, the band's music is characterised by technically demanding, structurally complex songwriting, with strong use of dissonant and atonal guitarwork. Luc Lemay has noted the influence of Opeth, Deathspell Omega
Deathspell Omega is a French black metal band formed in 1998 in Poitiers. Their lyrical content deals primarily with Satanism on a metaphysical level – as the band has stated that "all other interpretations of Satan are intellectually invali ...
, and Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
on his more recent songwriting.
The band's early music, particularly their debut album ''Considered Dead
''Considered Dead'' is the debut full-length album by Canadian death metal band Gorguts. The album was released on October 8, 1991 through Roadrunner Records, with whom the band signed a deal following the release of their 1991 demo ...And ...
'' in 1991, is characterised by a relatively straightforward death metal sound, with conventional instrumentation and song structures. Lemay credits Swedish death metal band Entombed as a major influence on this album. However, on their second album ''The Erosion of Sanity
''The Erosion of Sanity'' is the second full-length album by Canadian technical death metal band Gorguts. The album was released on January 19, 1993 through Roadrunner Records. Though it is now considered a milestone in the genre, the album's ...
'' in 1993, the band began to experiment more, incorporating pianos and acoustic guitars into their sound. The band took a break after this album but reformed with a new lineup and released ''Obscura'' in 1998. ''Obscura'' represented a significant shift in the band's style of music, often attributed to then-guitarist Steeve Hurdle. The album made increasing use of complex song structures, unorthodox sounds, dissonant guitarwork, unconventional time signatures, and esoteric lyrical themes. "Even by today's standards ''Obscura'' is considered to be one of the most complex and technical records in the genre, due to its unprecedented dissonance and experimentation brought by the band's late guitarist Steeve Hurdle." The following album, 2001's ''From Wisdom to Hate
''From Wisdom to Hate'' is the fourth album by Gorguts, released on March 6, 2001 through Olympic Recordings and Season of Mist. The musical style can be considered a compromise between the previous album '' Obscura'' and the older albums '' C ...
'', represents a balance between ''Obscura'' and the previous album ''The Erosion of Sanity''. The complexity and unpredictability of the song structures were scaled back, while still incorporating technically complex compositions, leading to a slightly more streamlined sound. The band's next album, 2013's ''Colored Sands
''Colored Sands'' is the fifth full-length album by technical death metal band Gorguts. It is Gorguts' first studio album since 2001's '' From Wisdom to Hate''. The album features the band's first recordings with guitarist Kevin Hufnagel and bassi ...
'', represents a significant evolution in this style of metal, with critics noting that the "huge wall of dissonant lead work and dizzying rhythm riffs have been crafted into something far more atmospheric, but with the heaviness and weight only Gorguts could take to this level, making Colored Sands not only near-immaculately put together, but perhaps one of the most absorbing albums of their genre."
Gorguts' influence on metal has been extensive. They are routinely credited as being key pioneers in the use of dissonance and atonality in metal. They are considered key influences on a range of bands, including Ulcerate
Ulcerate is a New Zealand-based extreme metal band formed by guitarist Michael Hoggard and drummer Jamie Saint Merat in 2000. The band have released six studio albums to date. The band have been featured in numerous articles as one of New Zea ...
, Spawn of Possession
Spawn of Possession was a Swedish technical death metal group, which formed in 1997 in Kalmar. The band have collectively released three studio albums. A fourth album was planned, but in 2017 the band announced their split up.
Biography
Spawn of ...
, Obscura, Beyond Creation
Beyond Creation is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec. They are currently signed to Season of Mist records. The group has released three studio albums to date: ''The Aura'' (2011), ''Earthborn Evolution'' (2014), and ''A ...
, and many others. Obscura is named after the Gorguts album of the same name.
Members
Current
* Luc Lemay – vocals, guitar (1989–2005, 2008–present)
* Kevin Hufnagel
Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...
– guitar (2009–present)
* Colin Marston – bass guitar (2009–present)
* Patrice Hamelin – drums (2014–present)
Former
* Carlo Gozzi – bass guitar (1989)
* Gary Chouinard – guitar (1989–1990)
* Sylvain Marcoux – guitar (1990–1993)
* Stephane Provencher – drums (1989–1993)
* Éric Giguère – bass guitar (1990–1993)
* Steve MacDonald – drums (1993–1995, 1998–2002; died 2002)
* Steeve Hurdle – guitar, vocals (1993–1999; died 2012)
* Steve Cloutier – bass guitar (1993–2004)
* Patrick Robert – drums (1996–1998)
* Dan Mongrain
Daniel Mongrain (also known as Dan Mongrain and Chewy) is perhaps best known as a co-founder of the Quebec technical death metal band Martyr. He composes, sings and plays lead and rhythm guitar. Mongrain is currently a guitarist and composes as a ...
– guitar (1999–2001)
* John Longstreth – drums (2009–2014)
Timeline
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bar:Kevin text:"Kevin Hufnagel"
bar:Carlo text:"Carlo Gozzi"
bar:Eric text:"Éric Giguère"
bar:Steve text:"Steve Cloutier"
bar:Colin text:"Colin Marston"
bar:Steph text:"Stephane Provencher"
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bar:Patrick from:05/01/1995 till:09/01/1998 color:drums
bar:John from:10/01/2009 till:04/01/2014 color:drums
bar:Patrice from:04/01/2014 till:end color:drums
Discography
Studio albums
*''Considered Dead
''Considered Dead'' is the debut full-length album by Canadian death metal band Gorguts. The album was released on October 8, 1991 through Roadrunner Records, with whom the band signed a deal following the release of their 1991 demo ...And ...
'' (1991)
*''The Erosion of Sanity
''The Erosion of Sanity'' is the second full-length album by Canadian technical death metal band Gorguts. The album was released on January 19, 1993 through Roadrunner Records. Though it is now considered a milestone in the genre, the album's ...
'' (1993)
*'' Obscura'' (1998)
*''From Wisdom to Hate
''From Wisdom to Hate'' is the fourth album by Gorguts, released on March 6, 2001 through Olympic Recordings and Season of Mist. The musical style can be considered a compromise between the previous album '' Obscura'' and the older albums '' C ...
'' (2001)
*''Colored Sands
''Colored Sands'' is the fifth full-length album by technical death metal band Gorguts. It is Gorguts' first studio album since 2001's '' From Wisdom to Hate''. The album features the band's first recordings with guitarist Kevin Hufnagel and bassi ...
'' (2013)[
]
EPs
*''Pleiades' Dust
''Pleiades' Dust'' is the first EP by the Canadian technical death metal band Gorguts, released on May 13, 2016 through Season of Mist. It consists of a single track which runs for thirty-three minutes and is roughly divided into seven movements ...
'' (2016)
Compilations
*''Demo Anthology'' (2003)
Live albums
*''Live in Rotterdam'' (2006)
Demos
*89 Demo'' (1989)
*''...And Then Comes Lividity'' (1990)
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Canadian technical death metal musical groups
Canadian progressive metal musical groups
Avant-garde metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 1989
Musical groups disestablished in 2005
Musical groups reestablished in 2008
Musical groups from Sherbrooke
Roadrunner Records artists
Season of Mist artists
1989 establishments in Quebec
2005 disestablishments in Quebec
2008 establishments in Quebec