Gorod – The Orb

Gorod unleashes yet another impressive display of technical prowess fused with elaborate melodic undercurrents. Far from a mere metal album, “The Orb” is stylistically diverse and serves up several colourful surprises for a thriller of a listening experience.

Accounting for their early years under the name of Gorgasm, Gorod looks back on a track record of over a quarter century, with a remarkably stable line-up. The Frenchmen have previously released 6 full length albums and 2 EPs; the 5 years wait since 2018’s “Æthra” mark the longest wait for new material so far. Guitarist and founding member Mathieu Pascal is the primary songwriter of the band, with writing credits; vocalist Julien “Nutz” Deyres has provided all lyrics. Notable exception is the album’s final track, which is a cover of The Doors’s “Strange Days”. Clocking in at just over 42 minutes, “The Orb” is a rather short album. However, given the sheer stylistic range and technicality, the concise scope is very much appropriate.

In terms of displaying technical prowess, Gorod can quickly be associated with the likes of Between the Buried and Me or The Faceless. However, “The Orb” features extensive sections with more organic, gritty vibes akin to Gojira or even Mastodon. The production seems to be kept deliberately authentic; the 5 members can be heard quite distinctively, with added layering kept to a subtle role. As a result, the overall soundscape seems more like a live playing band than the bombast of a modern high-bred production. Characteristically, the guitar duo of Pascal and Nicolas Alberny often go off on harmonic flurries of legato runs, leaving only bassist and founding member Benoit Claus to define the underlying melodic movements. In typical prog fashion, this leaves the songs’ melodies rather obscured and hard to grasp, particularly on first listens. Full appreciation of the material is only attained via multiple playthroughs – certainly an excessive demand for audiences with shorter attention spans, but a rewarding experience for a prog connoisseur. Last but not least, Karol Diers’s drumming is spot-on – tremendously tight yet organically human, serving as a driving framework for the music.

Not to be taken one-dimensionally, “The Orb” exhibits a wide stylistic range, with some rather dramatic change-up tracks to keep things interesting. The eponymous title track features strong influences of the current 80’s retro / synthwave flavours; the closing Doors cover fuses 60’s psychedelic rock with the modern riffing technicality for a unique blend. While this level of novelty and variety might include some less resonant sections for the listener, it is sure to surprise and never bore.

Adapting the contemporary release process, 3 of the songs (‘The Orb’, ‘Breeding Science’, and ‘Victory’) were featured as singles last year to build up interest. As a nice touch, the album versions of these tracks are remixes – although the changes are of rather subtle nature.

To save you the time googling the meaning of the opener’s title, ‘Chrematheism’ is “the worship of inanimate objects based on their usefulness.” Kicking things off intensely in classical tech death fashion, with guttural vocals, legato riffing, and blast beats, the later solo sections show glimpses of classical rock guitar battles shining through. ‘We are the Sun Gods’ continues with more fast riffing, before changing gears in an ambient guitar tapping section with a full-blown drum solo. It’s fun to listen to so far, but no big surprises – yet.

80’s and Synthwave retro vibes are currently all the hype – Gorod still manages to excite with them on the eponymous ‘The Orb’. With clean vocals and low key, post-rock sections, this song serves as a welcome palate cleanser from the album’s wild openers. The main motives are more likened to heavy rock styles, with an emphasis on groove over technicality.

According to the next title ‘Savitri’, we’re off to Indian religious themes. Stop- and go riffing is withholding a clear groove; a clean bridge with some orchestral antics, tends toward being long-winded. Up next are two remix versions of previous single releases.‘Breeding Science’ is very melodic, with an epic finale. Soundscape-wise, something is missing: without a guitar chord substrate, only lead layers and laced in delay, it is certainly authentic but lacks in power. The remix of ‘Victory’ is yet another paragon of tech death, with blasting ferocity that still leaves a melodic undercurrent to the keen listener.

‘Waltz of Shades’ disrupts the frenzy. A slower loomer, obviously in 3 quarters feel, with steady hard-panned tremolo picking taken out of the mid-90s Florida death metal playbook, fused with classic rock guitar leads. The final tapping frenzies a la Bowser’s castle can be a bit strenuous to listen through.

To close out the set of original songs, ‘Scale of Sorrows’ takes us back to classical technical metal, with tight rapid drumming and fast riffing, broken up by more melodic breather sections featuring tastefully melodic guitar leads, before abruptly ending on a last run through the main motives.

For a final surprise, Gorod brews up a strange concoction with a cover of the Doors’s ‘Strange Days’. Playful to the maximum, the track may not be entirely convincing as a cohesive song on its own, but it is sure to trigger a chuckle for its originality.

In conclusion, “The Orb” is a prodigious fusion of prog and technical metal. Far from a cushy leisure experience, the album demands attentive listening and multiple spins for full appreciation. Fans of intense and unique music who do not shy away from such claims will be richly rewarded.

Track List:

1. Chrematheism
2. We Are the Sun Gods
3. The Orb
4. Savitri
5. Breeding Science
6. Victory
7. Waltz of Shades
8. Scale of Sorrows
9. Strange Days (The Doors cover)