Band:	Gorod
Album:	Neurotripsicks
Style:	Technical death metal
Release date:	October 2004

01. Intro
02. Gutting Job
03. Smoked Skulls
04. Hunt To The Weaks
05. Beware Of Tramps
06. Pig's Bloated Face
07. Rusted Nails Attack
08. Harmony In Torture
09. Earth Pus
10. Neuronal Disorder State
11. Gorod [recorded 1999] [bonus]
12. Submission Transfer [recorded 2005] [bonus]

Neurotripsicks starts off with one of the most remarkable intros I have ever heard: background acoustic guitar strumming and overlapping distant growls are overcome by an extremely catchy soloing pattern with groovy rhythm guitar transforming into an acoustic section having a more prominent bass line and then smoothly flowing into the beginning of "Gutting Job." When an album starts like that, something good must follow, and it does. What follows is an equally remarkable discography, but let's focus on this impressive debut for now.

Neurotropsicks is technical as hell, but not necessarily blazing fast to achieve that. The way Gorod do it here is by constant motion, sometimes fluid, sometimes edgy: the album is packed by riffs and leads and is very obviously ambitious. It made me think of early Coroner and Protest The Hero: of Coroner because these legendary Swiss thrashers always had something extra to their riffs, something a little more sophisticated, like the arpeggiated finishing lines on many of their riffs; of Protest The Hero because like these restless Canadians, Gorod shoot out riff after riff, solo after solo. That is a pretty sweet combination if you ask me.

At the same time, Gorod came to be known as the masters of groove in technical death metal, and Neurotropsicks set the basis for that label. Not only do we hear blast beats and thrash-like drumming, but also a lot of simple rhythms creating that very groove. But of course, it is not just the drums, but also the guitar and bass lines that make those juicy lines, so everything works together quite well. As far as soloing is concerned, I am often reminded of Yngwee Malmsteen, Jason Becker and Marty Friedman: at times there is a certain neoclassical feel to them but also the characteristic quirkiness in their texture, which continues to this day. To summarize Neurotripsicks in one sentence I would say that it is brutally executed melodeath with a lot of prog mixed in.

What prevents this album from getting a perfect mark is what usually does with great but not classic albums: the memorability issue and the playback value. Of course, since we are talking about technical death metal here, memorability should not be the key factor; playback value is though: most songs have their moments, some even moments of pure bliss (endings of "Earth Pus" and especially "Smoked Skulls" will make you want to dance), but not so many keep you on the alert all the way through, even though to enjoy this album fully, you should be very attentive.

Fans of death metal and prog equally should check Neurotripsicks out. The release with two bonus tracks is recommended for purchase: two very strong songs, one of which will make you think of a death metal band playing "Flight of the Bumblebee," which sounds pretty amazing. Get this album!