Thanks to
Candelight Records US Office for contributing to club.kingsnake.com! One of the first discs they sent me to review is the new Gorgoroth. What a tremendous release it is!
This band has been around for many years now and the name Gorgoroth has been etched into the minds of many worshipers of Norwegian black metal. This record is definitely my favorite but I think some fans of their older harsher releases will not be too into it. Tough shit on them, as this is really a killer record
Rather than draw comparisons to the old recordings I will focus on the new one. The production is awesome, a good sounding record without being too over produced. Everything is audible and clear but not too digitized. I hear some death metal influence and even some traditional metal riffing thrown in the mix,. I remember years back when black metal was very specific as far as the style and sound, very un-death metal. This has changed a lot and this record has balls, as the heavier guitar sound of death metal is apparent. The song writing is excellent. The vocals are varied and really fit in with the feel of this record, I love it. The record is the type that really held my attention. Zoning out with the different feel from song to song and of course when the band goes into brutal mode it is definitive of what extreme metal should be, especially from a legendary band out of Norway.
The long list of musicians who have contributed to the history of Gorgoroth must be raising their swords in honor of this glorious attack on the senses. I think this record will attract some new fans who may not have been much into the older records, but if the next record was a slopfest of harsh destructive noise, or ambient melody or anything in between, nothing would surprise me. Black metal has mutated a lot since it’s rise to popularity. Some of it sucks and some of it is just a gift to the world of extreme music. This release seems to be in comparison to the way bands like Behemoth and Immortal chose to go in a more serious direction. What I mean by that is some bands prefer to stick with recordings released by themselves through mail order only or despise the thought of appealing to the masses. They care little for sound quality and expect to attract a small audience of “true� kult fans. They try to come off as the harshest of the harsh as if their lives revolve around the band and destruction of serious ideals of what most people would see as normal is what they want you to believe they focus on. This attitude works well for some, but what they don’t tell you is they live with their parents and spend the majority of their time looking for the most obscure bands on the planet in an attempt to be cool. Gorgoroth are apparently trying to spread their message and music with better song writing that does seem more appealing to the masses, but not in some bullshit sell out way! It is just a very easy-to-get-into record. Easy to inspire you let out your aggressions and get your neck in a brace.
Knowing the band's strong beliefs and history in the back metal uprising this must be a very important record to them. With unbelievable set backs to people unfamiliar with black metal such as suicide and imprisonment and of course not being on the same page with some of the former members this record is a triumph. Founding member Infernus has overcome a lot and hopefully has secured a lineup to deliver their message of hate and a true wake up call to ask yourself what you believe in,.....and why? Infernus has had some well known musicians contribute to Gogoroths recordings such as Frost of Satyricon, Samoth of Emperor/Zyklon, and now Dirge Rep from Enslaved for live performances. It seems the three members who will be looked at as names to be heard again in the band are Gaahl on vocals and King on bass and of course Infernus on guitars. Frost played drums on this recording and as usual he did a tremendous job.
I highly recommend this release, it is by far one of the best I have heard in a while. To run through this band's discography and get to this phenomenal record would be a journey into darkness with times being almost too much to handle mentally, yet to finally get to this record would leave you in shock, with screams of anguish and hate and a violent whirlwind of noise in your mind......this is the real deal. Horns up for Gorgoroth, this record is worthy of worship. TRUE Norwegian black metal from some of the most serious men in corpse paint. Buy it.
In the US it’s on Candelight Records, the release date was July 15.
In Europe...Regain Records.