With Death Metal Passion and Greatness:  Conversation with Mathieu Pascal and Karol Diers of Gorod 

February 19th, 2020

Throughout this tremendous journey of exploring Extreme Music and Metal, bands continue to overwhelm your senses and passionate heart. Through the recommendation of a dear friend years ago, Gorod was one of those, and after the past few years, I finally feel as if I’m able to further understand their music, presence, abilities, and abstract nature of their most terrific style of play. I was able to talk with the one of the masterminds and founders of Gorod, guitarist Mathieu Pascal, as well as catch up with drummer Karol Diers later in the conversation. We talked about Gorod’s musical influences that trait to various types of European Folk music, how Mathieu and bass player Benoit Claus formed the band in 2005, musical techniques/theories, and more!

(The audio portion of the interview can be found at the bottom of the page)

Metalchondria:  It's been about a year since I've seen the band play in April, great to have you guys back.  Tell me about this tour with Vale of Pnath, how's it going so far, about 10 days in or so?  What's it been like so far?

Mathieu Pascal:  The beginning was really cool, because we started in Denver, was the hometown of Vale of Pnath, so it was so loud, really good, how do you say...a really good way coming for us in USA.  From the middle state shows, to Seattle, to LA, which we know is like our favorite city in USA (laughs), so it's great, so far!

And I noticed, the crowd's a lot younger, I assumed from that kind of style of Wolf King, and Vale of Pnath, play that kind of Death Metal, it caters to the younger--you see younger audiences, at least.  Is that something that the band kept in mind on this tour, that you can open the band's exposure to the younger ones, 18-21-year-old Metal fans?  Is that something the band was thinking about, as this tour was being made?

That's what we would like to do.  But we know for the younger, we are like, veterans.  They all call us veterans (laughs).  I never wanted to make music from the 80's, or the 2000's, you know?  I always want to make music fresh, and it's really cool if young people or young audiences come to our show.

So, you and Ben (Benoit Claus, bassist) started the band in 2005, right?  Was it you or Ben?

2005 was the release of our first album, but we played together since 1997.

As Gorgasm?  Not the American Gorgasm, some people were confused, "I thought Gorgasm was from Chicago?!"

But they're good, too. (laughs)

Oh, they're wonderful!  Not seen them play yet, hopefully someday.  With that being said, tell me, going from Gorgasm to Gorod, how did that happen?  In terms of the musical style that you eventually wanted to do; it was a long time ago too, how did that start?

The thing was, when in 1997 and started the music, we did rehearsal once a week.  And we rented a room, for rehearsal.  In 2000, we started this band, how do you say that?  Rehearsal complex, you know, facility?

Yeah!

Where many bands come to rehearsal, and I got my own studio here.  So, I got many time to compose in a room, especially for that.  So that's why we can make more complex music and more sophisticated stuff, because we have time, and we have the environment was here, that we don't have before.

Interesting.  Just with that little space, you were able to do all of that in that room.  Wow, that's a different kind of story, and for the band that's great!  Also, you said the complex style of the band:  Gorod, I would not call your typical Technical Death Metal Band.  There's a lot more character, abstract colours within the movements of the riffs, the timings, counterpoints as well, yet there's this emotional happiness, it's hard to explain.  There's just so much "fun", it's fun!  People take Metal so seriously, we love it all with of our hearts, but it's fun, and it's just so different.  Tell me about how you write, and the process of when you start writing music for Gorod?  Like each album, how do you basically write, how does the riffs start and form?

Essentially, I listen to music and listen to many music, and many times, one idea, I listen to many world music, you know?  Strange music from Ourense, strange music from India, strange music from Africa.  And when I get an idea from this music, I try to make the same idea, but in the Metal style, you know?  All the weird time signature stuff basically comes from Turkish music.

From which music?

Turkish.

Okay!  (smiling with intrigue) I was going to say, one of my good friends actually introduced me to you guys, she'll be at the Chicago show, she moved there, and loves the band tremendously.  And also, with that, there's a lot of European Folk sounding rhythms, there's so much rhythm in this band!  There's a lot of leads, but there's way more rhythm than people see.  That's where it comes from, the other eclectic styles.

Music from Eastern Europe, is like my favorite influence, you know?  It's like, you got everything, all the weird modes, all the weird time signature, everything for me, comes from Eastern Europe.

Wow.  Any particular band, or any kind of style?  You said Turkish, is there a certain, anything particular?

Umm, Romanian Fanfare?  You know the term, Fanfare?

No, I don't.

It's like, Brass Band.

Oh, okay!  I love Big Band/Brass Band music.

(Mathieu impersonating Trumpet notes) I can recommend you a band called, Fanfare Ciocarlia.  It's like Speed Metal with Brass, it's outstanding! (laughs) 

Thank you, and I will definitely give that a listen, thank you for that!

It starts at like 80 BPM, and they finish at like 250 (laughs).

It makes a lot of sense hearing different styles within the songs, like I noticed as well with A Maze of Recycled Creeds, for me, that was the album that I got to start with.  And when I hear that album, in "Syncretic Delirium", around the 3 minute part, this weird silence and honing, and then this rhythm, you can dance to it, snap your fingers to it, you can headband to it, there's these very subtle rhythms in the band.  Are these all of your ideas, or do you have the other band members write as well?  Or is that you pretty much come up with most of the material?

Most of the time, I try to make something that we appreciate, but it's all mine, yeah.  Now with our drummer, (Karol Diers), who is now joining us.  (Speaks to him in French).

No no, you're okay!  Drummer of Gorod!

Karol Diers:  Yeah, nice to meet you, I'm Karol!

Welcome back to the states, we're happy to have you.

Karol Diers:  Thank you!

Because last week, I got to talk to the band Vitriol, from Oregon, really incredibly aggressive Death Metal.  And (Kyle Rasmussen) he talked about, he writes most of the music, but the other band members will maybe change a tempo, add a bend, not exactly with the construction of the riffs, but more of changing some of the composure of the time signatures.  Is that some maybe the band does in that kind of way, no?

Mathieu Pascal:  No (laughs).  He writes his own fills.  When I write a song, I write for two guitars, and the drums.  It's not like I'm really strict about it, but I just want, if I want something (mimicking a standard snare-hi hat combo), I don't know how to use the word in English for that, it's maybe a, like a horse...

Oh, like a gallop?

Mathieu Pascal:  No, like a, fitting the part.  That's what I want from my musicians.

So, in that case, they must love your vision, and what you to present to them as a songwriter.  With that being said, Julien (vocalist), people hear the vocals on the record, they know he has a great range, and a lot of dialect with his words, but on stage, you can see the joy he has.  It translates really well, and "From Passion to Holiness", in the middle part where it gets kind of quiet, and the way his vocals shift, that's a really big part of the band, I'd say.  Does he write the lyrics too, or do you do that as well?

Mathieu Pascal:  Oh, he writes the lyrics, but on the recording sessions, we like just to place the lyrics in the music together.

Does he have any musical experience with instruments, or anything like that?  Or just singing?

Mathieu Pascal:  Julien is a guitarist, he plays guitar.  It's quite easy to communicate with him, musically.  Because he's a musician, too.

Karol Diers:  He's just not a singer.

You can tell by his form, and you can tell by his diction, just everything in general.  And it just has to help the music language to be easier for the band I'd assume, right?

Mathieu Pascal:  It's like also, easy with the language, he can speak English very well.  You know where the sonic actions were placed?  Where can he place the words exactly on the music, so it's really easy with him.

It's not just singing, it bounces off the music, so you have a vocal attack with the guitars, and everything as well.

(Turning to Karol) I'd like to ask you a drum question, in general.  I play guitar, and I'm not very good at it, but I know a little in terms of tremolo picking, gallops, palm-muted, the typical standard guitar technique names, whammy bar and all that.  For a drummer, what are in terms--when I see a drummer play, there's a kind of structure, some parts to keep in rhythm, and then other parts that are just different for the song.  As a drummer, how do you approach writing your fills for Gorod?

Karol Diers:  Mathieu give me songs really raw, you know.  There is drums, and he writes all the drums, too.  And so, it's inspiring for me, and so I just have to make my breaks, my filling.  I don't really innov(ate) on his parts, you know?  

Mathieu Pascal:  Musically, I'd use a programming a drum machine.  I knew it would be different with a real drummer, like Karol.

Karol Diers:  You have to know the genius of this man, of Mathieu.  He knows his musicians, and so he knows how I play, what I can do, and what I like to do.  And so, when he writes a music track, for Gorod, he writes music for his musicians.  And so, when he gives me parts, it's like, for me it's good, you know? (smiles) I just have to give me my filling, and it's good, you know?  I don't have to write really some parts.  Do you understand?

I do get that!  And talk to me about Death Metal, is there a point where...I talked to Stefan (Kummerer) and Linus (Klausenitzer) of Obscura a couple years ago in terms of how difficult it is to write Death Metal, and sometimes, it's hard to be too technical, to be too over the top.  And Archspire said, "No, we want to break every single barrier as much as we can."  What is the approach in that regard?  Do you want to break as many barriers, or there's sometimes, "Wait, we have to kind of pull back."

Mathieu Pascal:  No no no, maybe when we were in this attitude like 10 years ago, but now, no.  We know that, every single kid, 20-year-old kids, will do very faster than us.  So, we're good with us.  Now I prefer my songwriting, you know?  And to be too technical...

Karol Diers:  We don't want to enter the game of Technical music, you know.  Mathieu is going to go make good music, and better music with better technique, you know?  To think about a good riff, a good chorus, you know.  But like you said, a lot of kids just make music faster than us now (laughs).  So, we don't care.  We just want to make good music.  We were fast in 1990--

You're still fast now.

Karol Diers: (Laughs) We are not the slower, but we don't want to put the level up, we don't care.  We just want to make good music, good play, good show, good attitude, all that.

For the writing style as well, are there any "rules", in terms of, "We can't do this, we do this."  Are there any certain things you have the band remember, "Okay, we can't do this kind of chord?"  Is there any kind of rule that goes with the music of Gorod?

Mathieu Pascal:  Yeah, sometimes, sometimes.

Can you give an example?

Mathieu Pascal:  It's like, for example, I know I can choose many Major chords, you know?  Musically in the first degree, I can choose a Major chord, that's always to be Minor, not to be so funny.  Because I know people won't get it, it's not like something I don't want to do, I like Minor, so I prefer writing Minor, yeah.  But sometimes just to make contrast, I use a Major chord just once, it's like, "Waaaaaaaaa!" (laughs)

And also with the last two albums, I could tell from the production, you can hear everything, you can hear Ben's bass playing, you can hear everything crystal clear.  And especially with the guitar tone with some of the chords that jump out, the really distorted octave chords and dissonances that you use, what do you use in the studio?  It's crisp and very unique, what do you use for those?

Mathieu Pascal:  I use, for the last album, I used a Randall, Randall Thrasher.  Good thing with the amp, two Gain:  one Gain for the Low frequencies, and one Gain for the High frequencies, and just bring down the Low frequencies and High frequencies, so the note and pieces are really clear, while the attack of the pick are (mimics a furious guitar picking sequence).

Do you mostly downpick or up pick, do you do both?

Mathieu Pascal:  No, my right-hand technique is really weird.  I'm lefty.

But you play right-handed?

Mathieu Pascal:  I play right-handed, I never knew exactly what I'm actually doing with my right-hand (laughs).  

I've been obsessed with guitar picking lately.  Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth, he down picks like 90%, and keeping that rhythm, is just...I have to ask for those little things.

Mathieu Pascal:  I think this is the best way.  If you want something regular, something really strong, regular, and powerful every time, down picking, the most that you can.

It's difficult, it's a skill and very hard to do.  So, after this tour, are there any plans to come back here?  What's on the schedule for 2020?

Mathieu Pascal:  So far, pretty much we have some festivals, festivals in Europe, and that's all.  We are trying to write something different, for maybe a new EP, maybe something more song-oriented, we don't know.  We are searching.

Is the band more like, you don't plan that far in advanced, do you just plan for whatever great opportunity comes up, you take it?  If it's good you'll take it, you won't just plan all the way the next two years?

Mathieu Pascal:  No no no, it's like 6 months before, yeah.  We came back here in the USA because we got visas for one year, so we have to make it profitable, we have to come back, so we came back.

It's about one calendar, one whole year, right?

Mathieu Pascal:  Yeah.

If the band came back about 2-3 times, that's about right?

Mathieu Pascal:  Yeah.  You know the visa procedure, is like $15,000.

Karol Diers:  It's very expensive, and the flights too, so we have to think about all the shows.

When Obscura came here two years ago, they said a couple years back they had horrible visa issues, it cost them close to $40,000, and they were this close to disbanding the band.  It still shouldn't be this hard for great Metal bands, to be able to play here.  And we were talking earlier, about how much I love to see Europe.  Do you prefer to tour in the US, if there were more opportunities?  Or is Europe just the best way to go?

Mathieu Pascal:  As I said earlier, Europe is more comfortable to tour.  But, maybe not so much people, like in the USA.  In USA, honestly, even when there are only 30 people, we know we're going to sell like 500 euros of merch, only with 30 people.  It's crazy, you know.

That passion, and because we don't get to see these bands often, if ever.

Mathieu Pascal:  And I mean the style of music comes from here.  And especially in LA, so it's not the same thing, Europe or US, but all good for us.  On one side you have Gorgasm, and on our side we have Necrophagist, you know?  (laughs).

I did get to see them (Necrophagist) back then; I was very very lucky.

Karol Diers:  Who's the best?  (laughs)

Gorgasm and Necrophagist?  Ohh, it's tough, that's really tough.  And talking earlier about this tour, so with the young audience, how have they been with Gorod?  How has the crowd been receptive?  Has the merch increased a little bit, has there been more awareness?  We talked earlier about exposure, but how directly what you've seen so far, is it working?

Mathieu Pascal:  Yeah, it works it works, actually.  We have every night, we have like maybe 10-20 people who come to here and, "I never heard of Gorod, it felt good!"  So, it's crazy, yeah.

And especially being main support, you get all the eyeballs.  You're the second to last band, so you're working your way up, that's how it goes, but that's great, you know what I mean?  Some bands prefer to be main support than headline, sometimes.  Because of the responsibility, there's a lot of pressure.  If you were to come back this year, would it be a direct support, or do you think sometime later in the year, you might want to headline?

Mathieu Pascal:  We don't know.  We would like to do a headliner tour in the USA, but I don't know, maybe we are not so much famous here, we don't know.  I know no one has proposed us as headliner, so...

That makes sense.  That's why some bands prefer to be main support because you get a good enough set, you still get the merch and people, and don't have to worry about the possible headaches.

Mathieu Pascal:  Yeah, it’s less pressure.

That being said, you'll be going to San Diego tomorrow.  Great venue, by the way, have you been to the Brick by Brick?  

Mathieu Pascal:  Yeah, San Diego!  We played there last year.

Oh, with Psycroptic?  I was at the Catch One show, okay.  I was there in San Diego for Vader, that place, they show up, that'll be another great California show.  Anything you like to say for all the fans here, the rest of 2020, and, any last words?

Mathieu Pascal:  I just say come to the shows!  Have fun with us, that's all I have to say.  

Karol Diers:  Come on people, come on!! (laughs)