{"id":602817,"date":"2026-09-01T17:42:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T17:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/602817\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T17:42:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T17:42:11","slug":"gorod-the-ember-gone-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/602817\/","title":{"rendered":"Gorod – The Ember Gone Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Though Gorod began as a more conventional technical death metal outfit, progressive songwriting seeps deeper into their bones with each release. The 2010 additions of vocalist Julien Deyres and Nicolas Alberny augured this shift, as 2011\u2019s Transcendence EP and 2012\u2019s A Perfect Absolution encouraged unconventional song structures to complement the band\u2019s knife-edged precision. In this way, I consider Gorod to be the stylistic antithesis of Archspire within technical death metal. Rather than going bigger and faster like the speed-freak Canucks, Gorod takes a more measured approach that, while brisk and exciting, tempers their dispatches with nuance and poise. Both bands succeed down their chosen paths, and the exercise of comparison isn\u2019t about pitting them against one another as much as demonstrating the differences in how the genre can diverge. Given Gorod\u2019s penchant for intricately crafted drama, can eighth album, The Ember Gone, rekindle their elegant allure?<\/p>\n

Pivoting from Gorod\u2019s recent theses of celestial bodies and the mythologies they inspire, The Ember Gone finds the French quintet examining more recent and pressing matters surrounding man\u2019s role in ecological disasters. This theme carries an especially stark timeliness given the wildfires that broke out in southern France after the band began promoting The Ember Gone. Despite the change in prevailing inspiration, though, Gorod\u2019s musical approach remains intact. Flurries of snaking riffs and clever bass countermelodies propel the album forward, this time adopting slinky grooves (\u201cRegret,\u201d \u201cIgnite\u201d) and reverb-saturated textures (\u201cForgiveness\u201d) in addition to their expected acrobatics (\u201cRemains\u201d). Rest assured Gorod still reminds of Psycroptic<\/a>, Augury<\/a>, and Obscura<\/a>, although this time around subdued undercurrents lighten The Ember Gone\u2019s grandeur in favor of more intimate compositions.<\/p>\n

On the surface, The Ember Gone doesn\u2019t stray too far from the music of \u00c6thra<\/a> or The Orb<\/a>. Guitar duo Mathieu Pascal and Nicolas Alberny unleash sidewinding flutters of perpetual riffs (\u201cSigns,\u201d \u201cRemains\u201d), occasionally relinquishing the fretboard gymnastics to build momentum with staccato chord bursts (\u201cDevise\u201d) or to instill emotion via delicate sustains (\u201cForgiveness,\u201d \u201cEmber\u201d). Benoit Claus also commands attention with a sprightly bass performance, rarely content to play under what Pascal and Alberny construct. Instead, he pursues sinuous grooves that embolden Gorod\u2019s stringed attack (\u201cDevise,\u201d \u201cIgnite\u201d). Deyres delivers an effective performance as well, especially on \u201cForgiveness\u201d and \u201cRegret,\u201d as he unfurls stirring cleans that accompany his abrasive growls. Drummer Karol Diers likewise submits a solid outing, although he often falls into the background compared to his immediate and off-kilter patterns that made all-out brawlers \u201cThe Sentry,\u201d \u201cWe Are the Sun Gods,\u201d and \u201cBreeding Silence\u201d so explosive on prior albums.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Given how the same essential building blocks undergird Gorod\u2019s recent releases, something feels like it\u2019s missing from The Ember Gone. \u00c6thra and The Orb dedicated runtimes to exploring various themes related to the moon and sun, and the music felt appropriately epic. With The Ember Gone\u2019s thematic lens zooming in on humanity\u2019s environmental negligence, the music too often dwells in melancholic lament. In fairness, this is an appropriate reaction, yet I yearn for some biblically righteous indignation that fans Ember\u2019s flames into a raging inferno. Regardless, the music is unerringly gorgeous and feels richer than the DR 6 suggests, and every instrument sounds sinewy and potent while Deyres\u2019s mix of clean and harsh vox cuts through. I\u2019m also shocked at the number of plays I\u2019ve accumulated over just a few days, and while part of that was born from necessity, I find myself drawn back to Gorod again and again.<\/p>\n

Although The Ember Gone doesn\u2019t reach the same heights as their other recent output, Gorod nonetheless delivers an invigorating dose of proggy tech death that should satisfy fans. In turns introspective and ferocious, The Ember Gone smolders with an understated confidence that stokes my appreciation higher with each listen. Evaluating it has presented an agonized challenge, as Gorod resolutely exemplifies what I love about both progressive and technical metal, yet I can\u2019t escape the feeling that too much of The Ember Gone\u2019s urgency is siphoned by restraint. Still, this review required a quick turnaround and even the little time I\u2019ve spent with Gorod\u2019s latest proves it\u2019s a potent grower. Perhaps by the end of the year I\u2019ll realize that The Ember Gone\u2019s eminence was just a very slow burn.<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

Rating: Very Good!!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Base Productions<\/a>
Websites: Official<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: August 28th, 2026<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n