Poland's Metal Mind Productions has struck an agreement with Roadrunner Records to release remastered death metal classics from the labels' 1980's and early 1990's roster. The first one we are going to cover here at Sea of Tranquility is the 1993 sophomore release from Canada's Gorguts, The Erosion of Sanity. This four-piece from Quebec were considered one of the most technical and brutal bands at the time, whose debut album Considered Dead was somewhat of an underground classic. Inspired by a trip to New York where he was able to spend time with David Vincent (Morbid Angel), hang out with Suffocation, and hear the latest album by Death (Human), guitarist/vocalist Luc Lemay went back to the rest of the guys in Gorguts with the seeds for The Erosion of Sanity firmly planted.
The music here is raging death metal, with constantly shifting rhythms and tempo changes. Guitarists Lemay and Sylvain Marcoux lay down plenty of complex riffs and screaming solo fills, while bassist Eric Giguuere and drummer Stephane Provencher provide plenty of blistering blast beats and rumbling bass grooves. Tracks like "Orphans of Sickness", "With Their Flesh, He'll Create", and "Condemned to Obscurity" rampage at full-speed with brutal, violent intent, and if the seething, technical nature of the arrangements don't pull you in, the haunting growls of Lemay surely will. His infernal bellowing on the title track or "Hideous Infirmity" is deliciously entertaining, and his scorched zombie wail on "Path Beyond Premonition" sets the stage for Provencher's relentless blast beats and a constant barrage of pummeling guitar riffs. Truly frightening, yet impressive at the same time. The addition of some beautiful, majestic classical guitar on "Dormant Misery" adds a brief but necessary moment of tranquility before more brutality, but shows the diversity and talent this band has.
Two pre-production demos are included on this reissue, "A Path Beyond Premonition" and "Disecting the Adopted", both brutal pieces that really fit in well with the rest of the songs on the original album. Metal Mind has adorned the CD in a nice digipack with full artwork, lyrics, as essay by Deron Miller (CKY) and commentary from Luc Lemay himself. The Erosion of Sanity has long been an underrated classic that never really got its due (nor has the band quite frankly), so now that this remaster is available you can check out what you might have missed back in the 1993.
Track Listing
1. With Their Flesh, He'll Create
2. Condemned to Obscurity
3. Erosion of Sanity
4. Orphans of Sickness
5. Hideous Infirmity
6. Path Beyond Premonition
7. Odors of Existence
8. Dormant Misery
9. A Path Beyond Premonition-bonus track
10. Disecting the Adopted-bonus track
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