Gorod

With Gorod, the word precision takes on so much meaning that you'd almost think the band from Bordeaux had invented it. The solos are so fast that Matthieu Pascal's fingers on the guitar hardly seem to touch the strings. The drums are hammered at a thundering pace while the singer, Julien "Nutz" Deyrez, delivers a growl that makes you sweat and would hurt the throat of anyone who tries to imitate it.

On amphetamines, the rhythms lead into a spiral from which one comes out at best out of breath, at worst out of nerves before diving back in for a ride. Because we must admit, there is something deeply addictive in Gorod's music. Fatally, for 20 years, they haven't been the masters of tech death metal for nothing.

And if the heavy sound and the aggressive vocals would dampen the atmosphere of any beautiful spring day, the band doesn't forget to offer its audience a short opportunity to breathe from time to time. This usually takes the form of breaks and melodic flights of fancy that distinguish the band from their 90's compatriots, Death, Coroner or Carcass in particular.

Obviously, this outburst of pure energy coupled with a technique that would make any guitar hero swoon, becomes completely untameable live. And that's where the band excels, making a name for themselves all over the world for their exalted performances. The hair spins rhythmically, unscrewing your neck, as you wonder how the strings still hold on the guitars. But it holds and Gorod continues to make the metalheads go berserk with their unleashed solos.