Back in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s we were spoilt for choice when it came to death metal, so much so that it was easy for bands to get lost in the shuffle. Thankfully, we had Roadrunner Records, a label that unearthed the very best bands, and one such find was Quebec’s Gorguts. Formed in 1989 by Luc Lemay, the band brought an intellectual, cerebral bent to a genre that was hitherto more visceral, and in doing so ensured death metal would never be the same again. Their tenure with Roadrunner found them releasing two albums that set new standards of technical proficiency and raised the bar for all who followed. Those records get collected by Cherry Red Records, along with a booklet detailing the band’s history and a new interview with Mr. Lemay, making this the only Gorguts collection you’ll ever need.

Disc One: Considered Dead (1991)

It is often the case that true pioneers get usurped by those who follow and refine their sound for a wider audience, and that was certainly happened to Gorguts. 1991’s Considered Dead undoubtedly ushered in a new age of death metal, and if you need proof just listen to album opener ‘Stiff And Cold’, actually, the album begins with an acoustic interlude ‘…And The Comes Lividity’, but ‘Stiff’ is where the band hit their stride, dizzying the listener with unorthodox rhythms and mind-altering time signatures, and all without sacrificing heaviness. Like all good art, Considered Dead works on several levels; on the surface this is a brutal death metal album, the sound of the most depraved serial killer on a murderous rampage (as titles such as ‘Bodily Corrupted’ would suggest). Yet dig a little deeper and you’ll find the band toying with the genre, pushing boundaries beyond expected norms and stretching things to breaking point. The drums and guitar run counter to each other on ‘Rottenatomy’ and pull the listener in separate directions (not unlike a victim on a rack), whilst the drumming on ‘Drifting ‘Remains’ can only be described as “otherworldly” and sounds like an evil spirit beating on a drum during a seance.

Acoustic sections are employed as a foil to make the heavier all the more weighty, adding light and shade, ensuring cuts such as ‘Hematological Allergy’ fracture sound in every direction like a hall of mirrors. Two demo tracks are added as bonus cuts and give an intriguing insight into Considered Dead’s genesis. Breathing life into a genre that was in danger of becoming stagnant, Considered Dead found death metal, thanks to Gorguts, very much alive.

Disc Two: The Erosion Of Sanity (1993)

The time between Gorguts’ debut and second albums found the music industry undergoing seismic shifts, with the advent of grunge causing many metal bands to start wearing flannel shirts and adopting a more commercial sound to cater for the alt-rock crowd. Gorguts were having none of it and their sophomore album, The Erosion Of Sanity, found them further entrenched in the world of death metal, delivering a darker album that had many a Nirvana fan running for cover. Gone is the acoustic intro that opened their debut, to be replaced by a bowel-loosening bass rumble and a riff that slices through the air like a circular saw through bone. It set a dangerous precedent for the next 37-minutes, and one Gorguts were happy to live up to. Compared to its predecessor, The Erosion Of Sanity had a darker aesthetic and the piano interlude that heralds the arrival of ‘Condemned To Obscurity’ is ice cold and brittle, whilst the song’s central riffs descends like a staircase in Dante’s Inferno. Overall, this is an album that finds the band happy in their own company and rocking a sound with the confidence that brings.

After The Erosion Of Sanity Gorguts would lose their contract with Roadrunner and the label would lose the plot, signing some dubious band and forever sullying their reputation. After a lengthy hiatus, Gorgus would return with the excellent Obscura outing, but nothing could match the youthful exuberance they brought to these two albums, So, if anyone was to ask you what was so great about death metal, I suggest you play them this set.

• Considered Dead/The Erosion Of Sanity is released via Cherry Red Records/Dissonance on 13th June 2025.

Track List:

Disc One: Considered Dead

1. …And Then Comes Lividity
2. Stiff And Cold
3. Disincarnated
4. Considered Dead
5. Rottenatomy
6. Bodily Corrupted
7. Waste Of Mortality
8. Drifting Remains
9. Hematological Allergy
10. Inoculated Life

Bonus Tracks:

11. Considered Dead (Demo)
12. Rottenatomy (Demo)

Disc Two: The Erosion Of Sanity

1. With Their Flesh, He’ll Create
2. Condemned To Obscurity
3. The Erosion Of Sanity
4. Orphans Of Sickness
5. Hideous Infirmity
6. A Path Beyond Premonition
7. Odors Of Existence
8. Dormant Misery

Bonus Tracks:

9. A Path Beyond Premonition (Demo)
10. Dissecting The Adopted (Demo)