Review Summary: Not bad for the last time.
Gomora made rounds in Krasnystaw for a while, known for being the only extreme metal band in the town and earning just as much sympathy as enmity during their run. Some liked them, some hated them with a burning passion, most probably didn’t give a damn. At least
some people in the band were insufferable to be around. Now, after their final, spectacular show, cut short by technical difficulties, they called it quits – but first, they dropped an EP. (En)titled
Branches, this release possesses every required characteristic of being trve as fvck. It’s as underground as possible, poorly produced black metal with riffs. These surely are satisfying; sharp, heavily distorted, and the bass slaps if it happens to be audible at the moment. The solos, not so much. Some potential could be heard for the first seconds of their duration, but most are annoyingly repetitive. Same goes for the song structures,
Branches is very homogenous in this respect. There is not
only so much that one could fit in a 3-minute timeframe, the possibilities are way greater than
you heard one of them, you heard them all. The most distinct tracks on the record are “Branches”, for its especially memorable riffs and cool bouncy rhythms, the fast instrumental ditty at the end, and “Fire Falls”. Being the longest track here, it is also the most engaging – slow and brooding for most of its runtime, unexpectedly speeding up for the bridge and ending with a catchy, bass-heavy outro complemented by dissonant lead parts. This is the high point of the record, one that successfully creates a menacing atmosphere and shows what the band was capable of when they locked in. At the end, it’s also worth mentioning that the drums accentuate the music well despite lacking intensity, while the vocals are perhaps the best aspect of it thanks to their raw, old-school edge. Will I miss Gomora? No. Is
Branches masterful? No. But, admittedly, the band was decent musically and went out on a decent note.
Recommended track: “Fire Falls”
