(written by Islander)
The last time we hosted a premiere for North Dakota’s Gorgotron, in the context of a 2022 pandemic-spawned EP (Agony Reborn), we summed it up as “a blood-rushing death metal song that’s both powerfully groove-some and maniacally unhinged — and as catchy as Chlamydia too”. They followed that with their fourth album, Sentience Revoked, and now a fifth one is on the horizon.
The name of the new album is Turmoil, and as that title suggests, it was the product of turbulent events — and it was fueled by anger. Or at least that’s the conclusion we’ve drawn from bandmember comments about the album’s title track, which we’re premiering today in advance of the album’s December 11 release by Time To Kill Records. Before we get to the song, here are those comments:
From drummer Matt Johnson:
TURMOIL isn’t just a song title. It’s a reflection of what Gorgatron has been through over the last decade. Especially the last four years.
Ten years of chaos, uncertainty, personal struggles, health battles, substance abuse, conspiracy theories, and betrayal. A decade filled with situations that tested friendships, challenged loyalties, and pushed the band to its limits.
Through all the confusion, setbacks, and internal conflicts, Gorgatron continued to exist.
Every disagreement, every betrayal, and every obstacle is part of the story. This album represents a chapter that wasn’t always easy to survive, but one that ultimately became part of who we are.
From bassist/vocalist Cam Dewald:
Ahh yes, if there is something I wanna keep reliving it’s the process of making this album… While we were on tour, we had an off day that we spent in the redwoods of Northern California grilling and hanging out. The song started there and was demoed while racing down the mountains in the bus on our way to San Francisco.
Lyrically it’s the most Gorgatron song to date, forced suffering, being ripped apart and stripped of human dignity in order to create the perfect machine that walks among us…
If that’s not what the lyrics are about you’ll have to ask the dude who spreads VD that put the band 6k in the hole then dipped out once we did accounting…
And now we turn to the song itself, which includes performances by new lead guitarist Billy Zahn and new vocalist Colin Richardson, both of whom are obviously hell on wheels.
Gorgatron have a proven talent for generating well-organized mayhem, and that’s even more evident on “Turmoil“. The betrayals and disappointments that clawed at their hamstrings left them angry instead of limping. To be sure, their vengeful triumph is surgically precise and technically impressive in its administration of de-fleshing and bone-rupturing vehemence, but the song is still (mostly) a bloody red riot, a raging onslaught of grievance and groove that’s sure to get a listener’s adrenaline flowing. And yet again, Gorgatron have made a very catchy beast as well.
One throughline of the song, and part of what makes it so infectious, is a motif that alternates between viciously swarming acid-strength fretwork and inflictions of jackhammering punishment intwined with raking chords. That’s backed by drumwork that’s alternately furious and steady, and fronted by explosive vocals whose rage burns with the fire of a thousand suns.
The song also includes a dynamic shift, revealing yet another feature which (unexpectedly) becomes a hook: As the pace slows, Gorgatron infiltrate a dismally moaning and braying melody, one they continue to insinuate even after they launch yet another vicious riff, one that feverishly skitters.
As icing on this cake, the song also injects a shrill, strange, and ultimately white-hot guitar solo, a high-flying and attention-seizing spectacle anchored by brutish stomps in the low end. Interestingly, and effectively, however, it’s the afore-mentioned bleak, slowly worming melody that closes the song in the aftermath of so much madness.
GORGATRON now:
Colin Richardson – Vocals
Billy Zahn – Lead Guitar
Henri Jourdan – Rhythm Guitar
Cameron Dewald – Bass/Vocals
Matt Johnson – Drums
Turmoil was mixed and mastered by Marco Mastrobuono (Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour Of Penance). Time To Kill will release it on vinyl LP (variant editions), digipack CD, cassette tape, and digital formats. Pre-order via the links below, and also check out the first single off the album, “Cleansed“.
PRE-ORDER:
https://timetokillrecords.com/collections/gorgatron
https://gorgatron.bandcamp.com/album/turmoil
PRE-SAVE:
https://ffm.to/gorgatron-turmoil
GORGATRON:
https://gorgatron.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/gorgatron/
https://www.facebook.com/gorgatronband/