Review Summary: The roots of a tree that provides foliage for all living organisms.
Gorguts can be attributed as an essential component to the evolution of death metal in general. Its mastermind and only original existing member is none other than Luc Lemay. Often heralded as a master modern death metal composer, Luc’s discography of consistent release after consistent release shows how pillars of life can be held together by one integral thinking powerhouse. Luc’s use of obscure-classical death metal riffs, gut-wrenching lyrics, and a drive that would have all of Asia’s car manufacturing companies jealous supports some of the best music the genre has to offer. From the LP of Considered Dead to the modern release of Colored Sands, fans of Gorguts often forget that this demo exists. I find this quite interesting as the music here is as good off anything on Considered Dead and contains trace elements of Luc’s work leading up to From Wisdom from Hate.
This short fifteen minute demo contains everything a fan of Gorguts would hope to expect: balanced production with audible bass, courtesy of Eric Giguere,top notch jazz death styled drums from the great Stephane Provencher, and supporting virtuoso guitars from Sylvain Marcoux and Gary Chouinard. I’ve probably never heard so much music packed within fifteen minutes before but And Then Comes Lividity is likened to the effects that gravity has on mass when compressed so densely on distant stars that if it were put on a teaspoon and put on earth it would fall straight through the ground and weigh more than a freight ship. Now, this is not to say that anything is overdone here, no, Gorguts manages to blend technical obscure riffs with accessible flavors that could appeal to almost any palate. “Inflicted Maturity” showcases tasty riffs that could easily be found on Erosion of Sanity or Considered Dead and as usual, every musician manages to express themselves in the spotlight without overdoing each other. Luc’s vocals are as polished here as they are on any release and when he screams “THIS PREMATURE EVOLUTION, IS FASTLY AND EASY ACCOMPLISHED, BY A PAINLESS STUPID INJECTION, OF A LIQUID IN THE NAPE” you can actually feel the filth of a mental mind craving the entering of a needle into the spppiiiiinnnneee. So maybe I’m getting carried away but it’s hard to not salivate over music this delectable.
Those considering the journey of And Then Comes Lividity won’t just be blessed with 5 tracks that all sounds the same, which knowing Gorguts is nothing short of a blessing anyways, but, this demo provides a balance meal of different feels. The intro-opening track is actually a classical/folk piece via acoustic guitars which blends into a south of heaven’esque riff on the following track, followed by pounding double bass drums and tremolos of putridity, supporting the disgusting lyrics to follow. The closer “Calamitous Mortification” is actually an interesting closing track because the production shifts to a more bass-filled atmosphere which is perfectly fine by me. Now I don’t know if this was intentional or not but when has anyone complained about more bass and atmosphere? LOL. KEEP IT COMING! So there you have it, an overlooked hidden masterpiece which is as essential as air and yet people haven’t really even breathed it yet. Umm, I don’t know about you, but….
