![\"Gorod-A-Maze-of-Recycled-Creeds-e1441900225285\"](\"http:\/\/powerofmetal.dk\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Gorod-A-Maze-of-Recycled-Creeds-e14419002252851.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIt is always odd when you expect one thing and get another. This happens in all kinds of situations: when ordering food, going to a movie, and in this case, listening to music. For many years now, there have been several high-quality metal bands to come out of France. A classic example of course is Gojira, but there is also Klone, Hacride, Betraying the Martyrs, Dagoba, and my new favorite, Kronos. Gorod is another fine French band, forming in Bordeaux in the late 90s. Their debut album \u201cNeurotripsicks\u201d was delayed until 2005, and was issued under the band\u2019s original name, Gorgasm. Their last album, 2012\u2019s “A Perfect Absolution,” was the album that introduced me to the band. It is filled to the brim with quality technical death metal. This month, they will release their latest album, “A Maze of Recycled Creeds,\u201d in North America via Unique Leader Records and in Europe via Listenable Records. Here again I was faced with a situation where I was expecting one thing and got another.<\/p>\n
The album cover threw me off right away. A somber scene in black and white, depicting some sort of religious trek, reminded me of a black metal album. According to the band, “A Maze of Recycled Creeds\u201d speaks of the fraternity of the Rose-Croix, specifically the works of French novelist and Martinist Jos\u00e9phin P\u00e9ladan (1858 \u2013 1918), a peculiar \u2018guru\u2019 claiming to have divine origins from Assyria. An appropriate theme for the musical power that is Gorod.<\/p>\n
Then there is the mix. I immediately notice the dryness and thinning of the guitars. Much of the distortion used previously is gone, taking away some of the fullness of the sound. However, the bass is brought up in the mix to compensate, which has a nice effect overall.<\/p>\n
Finally, there is the music. Being such fan of \u201cA Perfect Absolution,” of course I expected more fabulous tech-death to continue on the new album. What I did not expect was how funky, jazzy, and melodic the grooves were going to be. After the intro of \u2018Air de l’Ordre,\u2019 \u2018Temple to the God-Art\u2019 gives you a quick taste of what is to follow. More reminiscent of something from Extol, its punchy, bouncy verses are bridged by melodic chorus and solos, as Gorod stretches what we have known them for. However, whether they are zigzagging their way through Between the Buried and Me territory on \u2018Celestial Nature,\u2019 getting Meshuggah-esque during \u2018The Mystic Triad of Artistry,\u2019 or tipping their hat to fellow countrymen Gojira on \u2018An Order To Reclaim,\u2019 Gorod always keeps their identity intact. Mathieu Pascal whips out the wa-wa pedal for some extra effect on the funky \u2018From Passion to Holiness.\u2019 New drummer Karol Diers steam engine chops shift from shuffle to blast to drive \u2018Dig Into Yourself,\u2019 and from groovy to jazzy on \u2018Rejoice Your Soul\u2019 and closer \u2018Syncretic Delirium.\u2019<\/p>\n
In my opinion, “A Maze of Recycled Creeds” is more accessible than their previous albums, but not at the expense of the technical and progressive elements that make up the overall sound of the band. Gorod has managed to find a balance between showing off their technical excellence and writing good songs. By combining strong melodies and catchy choruses, the non-traditional song structures and musical U-turns captured on the album are more manageable for the listener. This makes for an album that is certainly some of the best work of Gorod.<\/p>\n
Tracklist:<\/strong><\/p>\n Playing Time:\u00a0<\/strong>47:44<\/p>\n Release Date: <\/strong>October 16, 2015<\/p>\n Label:<\/strong> North America: Unique Leader Records; Europe: Listenable Records<\/p>\n Website:<\/strong>\u00a0gorod.free.fr<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n