Rating: 9.7

Country: Canada

Release Date: 2001

Record Label: Olympic Recordings

Track list:
1. Inverted
2. Behave Through Mythos
3. From Wisdom to Hate
4. The Quest for Equilibrium
5. Unearthing The Past
6. Elusive Treasures
7. Das Martyrium Des..
8. Testimonial Ruins

Total playing time: 40:39

Band Website: Gorguts

Gorguts - From Wisdom To Hate

Luc Lemay - Rhythm Guitars and Vocals
Daniel Morgrain - Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Steve Cloutier - Bass
Steve Macdonald - Drums

WOW! That's the only way to sum up my feelings about this album in one word. Gorguts turned the extreme metal world on its ear in 1998 with the release of ‘Obscura' , an album which featured guitar pyrotechnics the likes of which had never before been heard in the context of a death metal album. ‘Obscura' s labyrinthine atonal riff structures and deranged arrangements made tech-metal junkies rapturous, while most others simply scratched their heads with mouths agape. For me, it was very difficult to get a real sense of what I thought of the album. On the one hand, its inventiveness and technical bravado were mighty impressive, but on the other hand, the songs were extremely difficult to follow and lacked the hooks necessary to compel me when listening to an album.

But where does a band go after unleashing something like ‘Obscura' upon an unsuspecting metal community? For Luc Lemay & Co., the answer was to combine the technically brilliant and convoluted riffing of that album with the more time-tested death metal sensibilities of the band's first two releases (both of which are no longer available domestically thanks to TrendRunner Records' 1996 death metal liquidation). The result of this convergence of styles is what I see as the band's best effort to date.

The lack of hooks and catchiness that kept me from ever gaining a real appreciation for ‘Obscura' has been rectified to great success. The very first riff on the album is a perfect example of ‘Obscura's dissonant melody fused with the practicality of ‘Considered Dead' and ‘The Erosion of Sanity'. Rest assured that Mr. Lemay is not about to let people forget the fact that he has a 4-year degree in composition from the Montreal Conservatory. ‘From Wisdom To Hate' is a songwriting marvel all around, having the rare distinction of using polyrhythmic and abstracted melodies in a manner where they truly grab the listener and create actual moods, rather than simply being technical for technicality's sake. ‘From Wisdom To Hate' never gets boring, and that is something that I cannot personally say about a whole lot of technical metal albums.

There's really nothing more to say here. Gorguts' fourth album is a masterpiece of technicality, combined with structurally solid compositions with all the hooks necessary to make a truly memorable album. The drumming and bass work are impeccable and the lyrics are not the average death metal fare (seems like Luc has drawn some inspiration from Nile in conceptualizing this album's lyrics). There is also plenty of variety in the pacing of songs - ranging from the blasting gallops of "Inverted" and the beginning of "Unearthing the Past" to the sludgy "Quest For Equilibrium" , which is reminiscent of Morbid Angel's "God of Emptiness" - to make things even more interesting. This is an album that will satisfy die-hard death metal fans and music theory nerds alike.

August 4th, 2005