CONSIDERED DEAD

"Considered Dead" is the debut full-length studio album by Canadian death metal act Gorguts. After having released a very promising demo tape in the form of "...and Then Comes Lividity (1990)", Gorguts were signed to Roadrunner Records and released "Considered Dead" in October 1991 through the label. Compared to the demo tape "Considered Dead" features one lineup change as Sylvain Marcoux has joined on lead guitars replacing Gary Chouinard. The original album release features 10 tracks while the 2006 Metal Mind Productions digipack re-release (limited to 2000 copies) features 2 additional bonus tracks. "Considered Dead" was also re-released in 2004 by Roadrunner Records along with Gorguts 2nd full-length studio album "The Erosion Of Sanity (1993)" on one CD as part of the "Two from the Vault" series.

The music on "Considered Dead" is classic US inspired death metal of the more technically well played kind. We´re not really talking technical death metal here but there are enough technical details to give the album a distinct tech edge. The tempo is mostly mid- to fast paced but mostly the former. This is not an album loaded with blastbeats. The vocals are growling but of the high pitched Chuck Schuldiner (Death, Control Denied) type. Like the case was on the demo tape, Death (the band) is still the primary influence. Imagine if Death had released an album between "Spiritual Healing (1990)" and "Human (1991)" and then add a bit more death metal brutality. "Considered Dead" could have been that album. Gorguts lack the memorable hooks that make Death´s albums so special though and while I do enjoy "Considered Dead" very much it´s a bit one-dimensional in the end.

The musicianship is on a high technical level which seems to have set the standard for Canadian extreme metal acts who usually put great emphasis on technical playing. Artists like Cryptopsy, Martyr and Kataklysm probably all owe some sort of debth to Gorguts.

Like many other death metal albums from the early nineties, "Considered Dead" was recorded at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida. The album was produced by prolific producer Scott Burns and anyone familiar with his signature sound will recognize his magic touch imediately when listening to "Considered Dead". The sound is very brutal, heavy and powerful. It´s a bit murky by today´s standards, but suits the music well. "Considered Dead" is widely considered a classic death metal album from the early nineties and I fully agree with that opinion. Classic doesn´t always equal excellent though and Gorguts still needed a bit more maturing in the songwriting department, but still a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

When the cause of death of the first death metal wave is taken down on the death certificate, this album is probably included. They were one of too many signed on Roadrunner Records in a rush to milk as much money out of the scene before it disappeared. The route to the positive bank balance always went through Scott Burns nimble fingers at Morrisound Studio, Florida. The result was tonnes of cloned bands. Like for example Gorguts.

The music on this album is mid-paced, mid-brutal death metal in the vein of Suffocation. The music is not particular technical. Neither is it melodic. This is a middle-of-the-road death metal album which does not have much going for it. A couple of decent songs and that's it. Maybe the music was good back then. I bought the album back then, but it did not leave any impression whatsoever. Neither does it leave any impression on me today. It is just generic death metal and that's it.

Music like this bored the life out of the guys in the scene and sent them packing into the arms of the black metal bands. It is a cause of death.

2 stars

It's always interesting to hear debut albums by bands that will go on to redefine a genre's boundaries. Especially after you've heard the later works first. GORGUTS started off as a no-nonsense full-on death metal band with little of the progressive heights that would take off ten years later.

The truth is listening to this now, you can already hear the blueprints for the technical death metal that would come later. Stephane Provencher's drumming already shows signs of irregular progressive timings and even though he would depart the band, the seeds had been sown.

Don't worry though, if old school death metal is what you crave, CONSIDERED DEAD is a healthy dose of morbid brutality that should scratch that itch. Although I don't forsee this reaching masterpiece status anytime soon, I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4