Gouge, a Norwegian death metal duo, has burst onto the scene with their debut 7" EP, "Doomed To Death," and they're not here to play around. This is old-school death metal the way it was meant to be, with a raw and unapologetic sound that's sure to resonate with fans of the genre's pioneers. Think of two Norwegians in a garage, making a glorious racket reminiscent of AUTOPSY and fueled by Busch tallboys - that's the essence of Gouge.
For a band that's relatively new to the scene, Gouge demonstrates a remarkable knack for capturing the spirit of early death and thrash metal. Their music conjures memories of TERRORIZER's ferocity, early DEATH's innovation, and the primal energy of REPULSION. The result is an 11-minute onslaught of gore-obsessed, gore-riddled mayhem that's a far cry from the majority of today's death/grind acts.
What's striking about Gouge is their ability to deliver a raw, manic, and energy-boosting performance that feels like you're right there with them, thrashing live in the flesh. The EP's sound production strikes a balance between pure filth and sublime clarity, allowing the furious riffs to hammer into your brain with relentless force.
With their debut 7" EP, Gouge proves that they're part of a new generation of death metal. They bring a refreshing authenticity to the genre, and their future in the world of extreme music looks brighter than ever. So, if you're looking for a sonic experience that's as potent as a hammer blow, as messy as an out-of-control mincer, and as exhilarating as a live performance, Gouge's "Doomed To Death" is your ticket to crimson-drenched ecstasy.
* "Old-school death metal the old-school way. Sounds like two Norwegians making noise in a garage (it is), and what a fucking wonderful noise they make. Genuine, dirty death metal of doom. For fans of AUTOPSY and Busch tallboys" -Zero Tolerance [4/6 rating]
* "A surprisingly heavily balanced and strictness-inflected session of regurgitating, gore-obsessed old-school death/grind. These Norwegians are completely new to the scene, yet they were quite potent whilst conflating the sheer unbridled aggression of TERRORIZER with early DEATH, some REPULSION and even speckles of the culminating brutal thrash excursions of the late '80s/early '90', and their burden of skills is raised to an even higher state and augmented as they sign to Hells Headbangers Records...I can't help but get caught up in the frivolous, adventurous, but strictly gore-riddled inflammatory conflagrations that these wild Norwegians can produce, and throughout its 11-minute brevity, I enjoyed myself more often than I had expected...The purpose is clear: complete and utter destruction. Gouge have long sought this ideology, and they are doing their best to produce formulas that are varied but still parallel to the idea...certainly a much more repugnant and punishing delivery than the majority of the nostalgic death/grind acts roaming the scenes today" -Lacerated Metal webzine [8.2/10 rating]
* "Gouge aren't fuckin' around and give you four rather short yet ultimately-to-the-point songs that will most certainly grab you by the throat, cutting it wide open, all while a maniacal grin is dancing on your face, with your mind cheering on the thought that IT IS actually still possible for a new and previously unknown band to deliver the goods the way these Norwegians do. Kudos to them for succeeding to achieve that raw, manic, energy-boosting 'band thrashing live in the flesh'...Tell you what - I'm laying off listening to TERRORIZER and REPULSION for couple of weeks, betting on this EP's nine minutes to give me the same kind of fix when needed. Sounds game to me" -Dead Void Dreams webzine [8/10 rating]
* "Addictive old-style death metal, with a sweaty lust for energy and pace that puts it very close to REPULSION's Horrified...some fine Norwegian death metal here. Get it!" -MetalReviews.com
* "It's not often that a new band can so genuinely capture the spirit of the bands they grew up with, whatever the genre, but Norwegians Gouge have so brilliantly tapped into the old-school death metal vibe with such authenticity on their debut 7", Doomed To Death. Eleven minutes of raw, bloody gore that makes you want to headbang maniacally, vomit up every meal you've ever had, and massacre a small town, all at the same time...the sound production on Doomed To Death is a fine balance of pure filth and sublime clarity. All four tracks are built around furious riffs that hammer into the brain harder than, well, a hammer, and create more mess than an out-of-control mincer. Underpinned by some cracking blastbeat drumming belying the duo's tender years, Gouge are the new faces of a new generation of death metal. The future's bright, the future's crimson" -TheDigitalFix.com
* "Norwegians Gouge are on a roll lately, not only getting a deal to issue their debut 7" through Hells Headbangers, the perfect home for it, but also a recent 'Band of the Week' recognition from the esteemed Fenriz of DARKTHRONE. That right there tells you that you're in for some ghastly, unflinching old school emissions, a hint enforced by the cheesy cover art and the track listing, which reads like a paraphrasing of old REPULSION, AUTOPSY, or DEATH song titles. Visceral kitsch aside, though, Gouge does not disappoint, conflating pre-'90s death and thrash ingredients into one unwholesome, wretched, and satisfying blend of severed limbs and an unabated disregard for technicality or innovation of any sort, which for some will provide the ultimate stamp of authenticity...For a band so new, this is definitely consistent and entertaining, even if it strives for little more than having a good time their obvious inspirations. It's about as 'fresh' as the Cold War, but if, like me, you grew up in that age where extreme metal was beginning to take roots, you've got no choice but to have fun with this" -From the Dust Returned webzine
* "Four songs in 11 minutes, Norwegian death metal mob Gouge's debut 7" EP is old- school death metal ripped and torn out of their instruments of gory torture. With early thrash and maybe a trace of grind in there, the track titles say it all. Beneath the death metal splatter that emanates from Christoffer Br_then's shredded larynx, Br_then's ragged riffs are ferocious and Herman Holer's drums are a combustible stockpile of violence. The filthy production does little to mask the fact that Gouge live up to their name at every instance, ensuring that every hammered snare, every blastbeat, every buzzsaw riff, and every blood-gargled syllable is as painfully revolting as possible. Raw, bloody gore" -TheMidlandsRocks.com
* "Straight out of the Kolbotn underground scene, Gouge offers up primitive death metal whose retro outlook latches on to very early death metal from when it was really a matter of thrash metal transitioning into death metal...So, do not expect pristine, modern-sounding tech-death metal, but if you are into authentic-sounding raw extreme metal which looks back to the beginnings of this branch of the metal family tree, then Gorge's aptly titled Doomed to Death is definitely worth investing in" -MetalMusicArchives.com
* "This Norwegian act rip and tear through four songs of early death and old-style thrash and just a pinch of early grindcore. Think late '80s Florida death metal swirled in some occasional thrash intensity along the lines of WHIPLASH, DARK ANGEL, and others...They never stray long from pushing forward and attempting to plow you over with total insane force. That kind of approach delivers well enough for this style. I was never bored and was even surprised by a few passages they took the music into. This was a really strong effort that got better as it went along" -Heavy Metal Time Machine webzine
* "Pure old-school worship at its best, and it's easy to see why it was picked up by Hells Headbangers to release...another great example of the different strands of death metal that are coming from Scandinavia at the moment, and long may it continue!" -This Noise is Ours webzine
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