Gorguts

Gorguts

Luc Lemay performing with Gorguts in 2014
Background information
Origin Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Genres Technical death metal
Years active 1989–2005, 2008–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website www.gorguts.com
Members
Past members
  • Steve MacDonald
  • Stéphane Provencher
  • Steeve Hurdle
  • Sylvain Marcoux
  • Daniel Mongrain
  • Éric Giguère
  • Patrick Robert
  • Steve Cloutier
  • John Longstreth

Gorguts is a Canadian technical death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec. The band was formed in 1989; its only constant member has been Luc Lemay.

History

Formation, Considered Dead, and The Erosion of Sanity (1989-1993)

Gorguts was formed in 1989 by Luc Lemay (vocals and guitar), Sylvain Marcoux (guitar), Éric Giguère (bass guitar) and Stephane Provencher (drums). They released their first demo, ...And Then Comes Lividity, in 1990 which led them to be signed to Roadrunner Records.[1] Their first album, Considered Dead, had guest appearances by James Murphy (a guitar solo on "Inoculated Life") and Chris Barnes (backing vocals on "Bodily Corrupted", "Rottenatomy" and "Hematological Allergy").[1]

In 1993, they released their second album, which was more experimental and technical, titled The Erosion of Sanity. After the release, however, Roadrunner decided to drop them.[1] Subsequently, the band ceased performing for five years, with many fans believing that they had broken up.[1]

Obscura, From Wisdom to Hate, and Break-Up (1998-2005)

Lemay, the only remaining original member, returned in 1998 on Olympic Recordings with a new line-up consisting of Steeve Hurdle (guitar), Steve Cloutier (bass guitar) and Patrick Robert (drums).[1] This line-up released the album Obscura, to great acclaim.[2]

After Obscura, Hurdle left and was replaced by Dan Mongrain of the technical death band Martyr, and Robert was replaced by Steve MacDonald.[1] Gorguts' next album, From Wisdom to Hate, was released in 2001. This album is stylistically a mix between the earlier albums and Obscura. Lemay, the primary songwriter on the album, experimented more with the use of sounds, rather than notes, in riffs, such as the opening riff of the album, on the song "Inverted" which uses a combination of pick-slides, pick tapping and traditional picking. However, the album was in general much more straight-ahead and brutal than Obscura, with longer and faster blast beat sections, and more atonal guitar solos from the newly added guitarist.

MacDonald, who had a history of recurrent depression, committed suicide in 2002, which eventually led to the split-up of Gorguts in 2005.[3] Hurdle formed Negativa and asked Lemay to join; an EP was released by this band.[3]

Reformation and Colored Sands (2008-present)

In December 2008, a Gorguts demo track with guitar and programmed drums surfaced online, and Lemay himself confirmed an upcoming reunion with Colin Marston, Kevin Hufnagel and John Longstreth.[4] While the new Gorguts has been performing live and writing new material, Lemay said that the band would not be recording until "late fall" 2010 with a release date some time in 2011;[5] In May 2012, Steeve Hurdle died from post-surgical complications.[6]

The band signed to Season of Mist and revealed that its forthcoming album would be titled Colored Sands. While released on CD and vinyl on September 3, 2013, the release date for the digital version was advanced to August 6, 2013 in response to an online leak. Inspired by Opeth and the album The Incident by Porcupine Tree, Lemay intended to write more progressive songs with longer running times and increased dynamics.[7] The classical piece "The Battle of Chamdo" was written by Lemay on piano and recorded with a string quintet. Colored Sands was nominated for a Juno Award.[8]

Lemay confirmed in a recent interview that Gorguts is working on a new album that will consist of one long song.

Band members

Current members

  • Luc Lemay – vocals, guitar (1989–2005, 2008–present)
  • Kevin Hufnagel – guitar (2009–present)
  • Colin Marston – bass guitar (2009–present)

Current live members

  • Patrice Hamelin – drums (2011–present)

Former members

  • Carlo Gozzi – bass guitar (1989)
  • Gary Chouinard – guitar (1989–1990)
  • Sylvain Marcoux – guitar (1989–1993)
  • Stephane Provencher – drums (1989–1993)
  • Éric Giguère – bass guitar (1990–1993)
  • Steve MacDonald – drums (1993–1995, 1998–2002; deceased)
  • Steeve Hurdle – guitar, vocals (1993–1999; deceased)
  • Steve Cloutier – bass guitar (1993–2004)
  • Patrick Robert – drums (1996–1998)
  • Dan Mongrain – guitar (1999–2001)
  • John Longstreth – drums (2009–2014)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

Live albums

Demos

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 York, William. "Gorguts > Biography". Allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
  2. ↑ York, William. "Obscura review". Allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  3. 1 2 Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Gorguts - Biography". Rockdetector. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
  4. ↑ "Reformed GORGUTS Working on New Material". Blabbermouth.net (Roadrunner Records). March 11, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Brighten Your Day with Some New Gorguts". MetalSucks. May 27, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Avis de décès, Steeve Hurdle". Coopérative funéraire de l'Estrie. May 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  7. ↑ DeVita, Joe (August 22, 2013). "Gorguts’ Luc Lemay Offers Track-By-Track Conceptual Breakdown of ‘’Colored Sands’’". Loudwire. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  8. ↑ http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/protest-the-hero-gorguts-anciients-among-juno-awards-nominees/

External links

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