"I've always liked that feeling— when you hear a song for the first time and you don't even have to question yourself about anything," says Gorguts vocalist and guitarist Luc Lemay (pictured left), whose band released its fifth studio album and first since 2001, Colored Sands, earlier this year. "It just feels right, I mean damn fucking right! No need to analyze anything, no need to really understand what is going on, it just touches you. That's all.
"To me, that's what art should be form" he adds. "That means that the work of art did what it had to do—in this case, bring out an emotion which you can't put your finger on, but it takes you somewhere every time you hear it."
So Revolver asked Lemay to name five "weird" metal albums that gave him that feeling.
1, Deathspell Omega, Chaining the Katechon
"This EP, which is a single song, totally blew my mind at first listen! The intricacy of the riffs, especially the opener—I just LOVE those kind of riffs. Totally evil blast beat leading to a beautiful nostalgic slow parts with a very melancholic melody. It's just amazing evil and beauty. I think these are the words that comes mind each time I hear this EP. Since I discovered their approach of doing a whole song lasting over 20 minutes or so, it showed in me the desire to attempt this form. It's like a Penderecki symphony that lasts for 30 minutes and being a whole movement. Amazing work of art!"
2, Dodecahedron, Dodecahedron
"I never been a big fan of black metal. Don't get me wrong, I totally respect the artistic approach but at some point I felt that there was more energy spent in the image than the music. If I was to write black metal music, it would be like this album. Dirty riffing at times, very technical and super solid playing as well! Just love the balance in the guitar work. The addition of electro-acoustic ambiance add the touch that keeps a constant darkness in their sound. Every time I listen to the song 'I, Chronocrator' when the noise arrives at 4:27 to 4:35, that instant just makes the whole record for me! Just can't explain why, it's plain AWESOME!"
3, Ulcerate, The Destroyer Of All
"The opening song 'Burning Skies' is so amazing! I just LOVE this. I like how they use the guitar effects to create an atmosphere that I never heard anywhere else. It's transparent and the intervals they use—there's something only they can do. I had the chance to see them live in Montréal last year. It was a kind of an intimate concert, no need to have a full light set and no need to have a thousand people to create an ambiance. All of it was taking place on the strings and percussion and I was standing in front, trying to capture every details with me eyes and ears. I had to pick up my jaw from the floor a couple times! It was absolutely MIND BLOWING!"
4, Nero De Marte, Nero De Marte
"This is a sound that I've been looking for in a band for a long time. Wow! The first listen was an instant 'this needs to be in my collection' moment. The song 'Convergence' hit me like a brick. The way this song is crafted is just BRILLIANT! The build up with the drums and guitar textures, yet minimalistic, is perfect from an arrangement point of view. Then when the vocals kick in, it's simply amazing! Then when I heard the riff at 2:26, these are the kind of twists I just love. Then the lead melody, phrasing—this is all great. I already need a new record from these guys!"
5, Teramobil, Multispectral Supercontinuum
"This power trio is disturbing in the best way. I got the chance to see them live twice and it was love at first hearing! Intricate, intricate, intricate. I don't get how the hell they craft their music. It's just incomprehensible for me and that's why I love it. Guitarist Mathieu Bérubé reminds me very much of Steeve Hurdle. If Big Steeve would have played in a power trio, that is how it would have sounded! This EP is totally BRILLIANT!"
