Many things could be said about Gorod, but let’s start with the most important one: the French band have now reached twenty years of an outstanding career built around highly sophisticated technical/progressive death metal. Even back when they were still known as Gorgasm, they had already shown what they were capable of, but after adopting the Gorod moniker, they only continued to raise the bar.
Their clear inclination towards experimentation was already evident on their second album, Leading Vision. It could also be heard throughout their EPs, such as Kiss The Freak, where they explored elements further removed from their established sound. This same approach returns on their latest effort, The Ember Gone, an album on which Gorod move further away from pure tech-death and embrace a more atmospheric and melancholic dimension, without ever sacrificing their trademark instrumental precision.
The result is a tracklist that feels almost like a continuous journey, with the songs constantly interacting with one another while alternating bursts of technicality, groove-driven passages, ambient sections and melodic openings.
Signs opens the album in a particularly telling fashion. A synthetic texture introduces an intricate and instantly recognisable Gorod composition, though one already less concerned with speed for speed’s sake. The two guitars constantly weave intricate patterns and counter-melodies, while the structure maintains a progressive sense of tension, making it an excellent introduction to the band’s new direction. Devise is the most immediate track of the album’s first half: still highly technical, but built around more memorable riffs and more straightforward passages. The bass deserves particular praise here, often serving as a sonic foundation and creating a groove that lets the song breathe without compromising its complexity. Forgiveness is the album’s first genuine masterpiece and perhaps the track that best explains the band’s new philosophy. It begins in a melancholic, almost suspended mood, with clean guitars and a contemplative atmosphere, before gradually building tension and eventually exploding into a devastating tapping section and crushing groove. The atmospheric component is not merely an interlude between heavier moments; rather, it makes those aggressive passages feel even more powerful. Regret continues along the same path and is arguably the most ambitious composition on the record. The technical level remains consistently high, but the song moves freely between airy sections, almost math/prog-like passages and sudden bursts of acceleration, giving it an almost oriental character at times. It is one of those tracks that require several listens to absorb fully, but once it clicks, it becomes one of the album’s most memorable moments. Crimson provides the record’s most atmospheric instrumental passage, balancing technical guitar work with melodic openings before culminating in a finale with an almost bluesy flavour. Ignite, on the other hand, brings the energy back to the forefront. Groove takes centre stage once again, while the guitars engage in a constant interplay of intricate patterns. The song manages to be genuinely virtuosic without ever feeling like a mere technical showcase. Ember is a short instrumental interlude that completely lowers the intensity and prepares the listener for the final stretch. Benoît Claus’ fretless bass and the song’s suspended, almost weightless atmosphere make for a moment of decompression before Remains brings the album to a close. Here, a more pronounced death metal component finally returns to the foreground, with heavy riffs and a greater sense of aggression, before the song once again gives way to progressive detours and keyboards.
An album that catches you off guard, but never completely, The Ember Gone reveals a side of Gorod that may initially come as a surprise, yet ultimately makes perfect sense when considering just how many musical skills this band possess. In fact, it only reinforces what they have been proving throughout their career. After several listens, the feeling is that this is not an album that is technical, aggressive or fast simply for the sake of being so. Every one of those elements serves a greater purpose: building a cohesive work that needs to be explored, interpreted and experienced through complete immersion. Once again, Gorod have proven that they are not a band willing to stand still.
