When thinking about Canadian Technical Death Metal one might come up with bands playing power chords in fast succession and constant hyperblast overpowering the music to the point where structure becomes second thought. One band that always stood out from that style is Gorguts, as many changes in sound and aesthetic throughout their first 4 Albums managed to elevate them into one of the most innovative bands the genre has seen.
On The Erosion Of Sanity Gorguts managed to combine their own unique sense of melody with the rhythmic trademarks established by Suffocation’s crowning achievement Breeding The Spawn leading to some of the band’s most inspiring and iconic moments.
Despite being one of the simpler songs on the record, the title track perfectly displays Gorguts’ ability to arrange songs where riffs cycle through various orders giving them an unique feeling each time they re-occur.
Multiple listens reveal following structure:
A-B-C-C1-C-Bass Break-D-E-D-E-D1-D-A-F-F1-F2-B-C-C1-D-E-D-E-D1
Phase 1
Riff A introduces the song with three hard hitting power chords succeeded by a burst of tremolo picking, slided power chords and a short palm muted melody with two iterations, giving a glimpse of how the following riffs will often change between glorious melodies and abrasive rhythms. This trend continues in both Riffs B and C as Riff B develops the small melody played in A while adding a layer of polyphony before Riff C introduces itself with an abrupt power chord and a crawling melody leading into Riff C1 embracing more open chords with a variation of the tremolo burst of the introduction Riff. Riff C then plays two times, but on the second run the guitars drop out to let the bass shine which then successfully leads into Riff D, the only “real” tremolo picked riff in this song.
Man’s sanity has not provided
For an imminent derangement
Life won’t be able to handle
The psychological sickness
Phase 2
Riff D remains very simple as 16th note triplets emerge towards Riff E while the second guitar adds an interesting harmony to this simple Riff, preparing the listener for the massacre to come. In Riff E the guitars burst out a fast 8th note Riff similar to how many modern bands approach riffing. Guitars play a maniacal riff where two intervals gets moved up and down the neck before the song returns to Riff D which then again leads to Riff E, this time with drums supporting the riff through a laid back groove instead of playing blast beats. Riff D1 is identical to Riff D except that it’s completely palm muted and played in regular 16th notes before Riff D starts supporting the first guitar solo which presents itself as the perfect tool leading back to Riff A.
Encephalitis’ treatments are unknown
In a perpetual sleep, they’re swallowed
A decrease in all capacities
Mentally you’re becoming obsolete
Infection in your brain, it creates
A slumber that no one can awake
Nailed in your chair, you’re living dismally
Phase 3
This is the first and last time Riff A is re-introduced, suggesting the Idea that the song might return to it’s beginnings but Gorguts now begin to develop the third phase of this track. Riff F is another palm muted melody repeating itself over and over again while the second guitar follows for the first portion of the riff before dropping back to long sustained power chords. It is not until Riff F1 where both guitars play both the melody and power chords in unison, giving the listener the idea that the narrator might have returned to a stable set of mind. The second guitar solo makes use of less whammy bar abuse and emphasizes less chaotic melodies, almost giving a sense of peace and calmness to a song of this intensity.
Sudden rise of lucidity
Your wretched life is complete
As before, now you can see
Walk and talk normally
Phase 4
Phase 3 started with the first Riff of the song and ended beautifully, now Phase 4 starts with the second Riff of the song which also carries a more melodic approach before Riff C and Riff C1 take us back to the start of the song, signaling that the narrator relapses back into insanity. Riffs D, E and D1 take the track to it’s conclusion while the third guitar solo combines the melodic and menacing approach of the preceeding solos, suggesting that the sanity has been finally eroded.
Unexpected relapse into sickness
Brought you back to an everlasting sleep
Back in your chair, you’re living dismally
The Erosion of Sanity is a personal favourite, an album that inspired me to pick up playing guitar because these songs not only showcase musical proficiency but also prove how arrangement and lyrics can go hand in hand, truly evelating this album into the highest ranks of Death Metal as this clearly is not a lite version of Breeding The Spawn.
On their follow-up Obscura Gorguts created one of the most discussed albums in Death Metal as they completely dropped the standards prevalent in genre and focused on creating Riffs based on their texture, leading to the logical conclusion of what Death Metal could be. However, one remains curious about what a stylistic follow-up to The Erosion of Sanity would have sounded like.
