Band:	Gorod
Album:	Transcendence
Style:	Technical death metal
Release date:	May 2011

Disc I
01. Earth Pus [new version]
02. Blackout: Renewed Souls [acoustic version] [feat. Xavier Monboisse]
03. Textures [Cynic cover] [feat. Tiko]
04. Earth Pus: Salvation [acoustic version]
05. Transcendence [feat. Ross Dolan]

Disc II [DVD]
+ Live at Rock School Barbey, Bordeaux
+ Performance in Joao Onofre's "Box Sized DIE"
+ Other live performances
+ Soundtrack of Gorod live performance at WFMU radio show
+ Photo gallery

Gorod is a technical death metal band that, if you have not heard, you should listen to. After the teaser for the upcoming EP was released, I eagerly awaited the official release. There was quite a lot to anticipate really: acoustic interpretations of two great songs from the first two albums, a Cynic cover, a new 15-minute song, and a less exciting re-recording of "Earth Pus." Was Transcendence worth the wait? In the end, almost as much as I expected.

The acoustic interpretations - and they are not just merely acoustic versions - show the undoubted talent of the band. It is obvious that a lot of work was put into composing these renditions. The band is not simply covering itself with acoustic guitars but is bringing forth almost new songs implementing classic guitars, percussion, and what seems like fretless bass. These sound like variations on a theme done in a pseudo-flamenco style without vocals. The result is beautiful music, which shows the band in a new light while proving once more how diversely they can use their skills.

The re-recording of "Earth Pus" has a better sound but does not have the groovy outro that the original did. In fact, I do not see a lot of sense in including that song on the EP since it does not even feature the new vocalist Julien "Nutz" Deyres; the vocals are done by the band's former vocalist Guillaume Martino.

The cover of Cynic's "Textures," on the other hand, feels right at home on this release. The subtle guitar playing, the complex rhythmic shifts, and the sheer epic beauty blend perfectly with even more intricate material of acoustic interpretations and the monstrous title track.

"Transcendence" is a real piece of art. This is a hymn to complexity, musical talent, and the art of songwriting. The accurate guitar lines splatter like flamboyant colors on an avant-gardist's canvas while the bass and drums either play the guitars' game or go other places and have fun in their own world. Nevertheless, there is a lot of precision and thought-out structuring in this piece: some parts of the song sound as if they were flirting with each other - stealing each other's theme and then joining in a chorus or bridge or another logical resolution. This makes the attentive listening experience incredibly adventurous, but the flow of ideas is almost conceptual, like there is a reason one part follows the other. By the way, the song features three vocalists: the current, the old one, and Ross Dolan of Immolation; however, behind all the instrumental goodness, there is not even time to evaluate each one's contribution, but one will notice the clean singing?

To conclude: Transcendence is one of the more successful experiments this year, and Gorod prove yet once again that they are one of the most original bands in the technical department of metal.