Entry 169 - Gorguts - From Wisdom to Hate

 

I swear I almost didn't put an entry in for this one. Not because I don't like the music, but taking a picture of a high gloss jacket is a real pain in the ass. I know my pictures normally aren't that great, but this one is particularly bad. This blog is about what's on my turntable and not about the quality of my pictures so here we go anyway.

In all of death metal there are very few who have innovated as much as Gorguts. This band broke the mold early and then completely obliterated it with their third album Obscura. The follow up is entirely tame by comparison, but still offers a solid slab of technical death metal.

Right when the album starts off Inverted comes in with blast beats and an utterly bizarre guitar riff that alternates between chords and harmonics that sound like a cat screeching. After a few more moments a much more traditional death metal riff comes in and Luc's howling vocals over top.

This is the blueprint for most of the album - competent death metal plus some exceedingly difficult riffs to wrap your head around. Even when knowing what's coming it can be difficult to fully process the riffs.

That said, the album is well paced. Songs like the title track are a bit slower than the blistering pace of most of the album. The Quest For Equilibrium has an extended keyboard intro to it that reminds me a bit of the older death and black metal intros from the early 90's. Testimonial Ruins ends the album in instrumental fashion.

From Wisdom to Hate is a rather easy album to digest compared to Obscura. The strange riffs from the previous album are now counter balanced by more standard riffs. It brings a bit of stability to the album, and by doing so it gives the album just a tiny bit more of accessibility.