Regain Records

Ah... the rebirth of Gorgoroth. Introducing this album requires a bit of a history review, so here it goes. Two years ago, in October of 2007, Infernus was somehow kicked out of his own band, the black metal death machine in which he was the only founding member. Gaahl and King (Ov Hell) decided that Infernus had been too lazy, and had not contributed enough to the writing of the music they had been making (the music on the previous two albums having been written almost entirely by King). Gaahl and King continued to tour without Infernus in the band, which Infernus was not going to put up with! Why should he? So like any true warrior of Satanic influence, he got the courts involved and it was decided, rightfully so, that Gorgoroth was Infernus' band, and Gaahl and King were in the wrong to try to kick him out. Infernus, in the mean time, had built up a new band to call Gorgoroth... which, I might add, was more GORGOROTH than Gaahl and King's Gorgoroth, considering the inclusion of PEST and TORMENTOR.

So where we pick up today is a little over half a year after the court declared that Infernus owns Gorgoroth. Pest (my favorite Gorgoroth vocalist) is back on vocals, Tomas Asklund is on drums, and a man going by the name of Bøddel is on bass. Tormentor is now back in the band, as guitarist, though did not contribute to the making of the album. What they have created here is the eighth studio album in the last 15 years, which has much more in common with the old days of Gorgoroth ala Pentagram, Antichrist and Under the Sign of Hell than any of the later material.

A rebirth of Gorgoroth this truly is, for it is back to the old style, back to the roots of the most consistent Norwegian black metal band. The opening track, Aneuthanasia, is a headbanging facemelter. With a jackhammer intensity smothered all over it, this song rapes and fucks to death any preconceived notions you may have while playing this. Some fans may be mourning the loss of Gaahl and King (hey, I love Gaahl's vocals, but Pest is the true king), and perhaps may expect questionable quality. Aneuthanasia splits this idea in half and reminds all listeners that this embodiment of Gorgoroth is what Gorgoroth is all about.

The first song is the most vicious and relentless massacre the album has to offer, and after this it loosens its strangle hold by not going for the throat, but by diving into the melodic and dark riffing that Infernus was the master of at Gorgoroth's peak. Immediately, over the next few songs, one can't help but think of the great moments conjured in Antichrist, Pentagram and Under the Sign of Hell, with a dark, bloodied, spiked fist in the face of all that is holy and righteous. Pest and Infernus form an unstoppable team, with Pest's horrific, blood-curdling shrieks seeping through Infernus' gloomy and demonic riffs like a stalking, enigmatic enemy of the soul. A few riffs on this album sound vaguely familiar, as if they were left over riffs from perhaps Incipit Satan and Under the Sign of Hell, at times going so far as to repeat much of the same progressions and fall just short of direct imitation. But imitation I suppose it is not, for Infernus wrote those riffs, and he is free to take influence from his own work if he so wishes! The riffs are not direct replicas, but in the way the songs are crafted, they come out sounding similar. This is not a bad mark, in my ears. It is no secret I am a huge Gorgoroth fan.

Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt is not as heavy or violent as the previous two Gorgoroth releases, which were massive destructive forces of hellfire burning black metal. Gone are the full-throttle lightning speed attacks of Twilight of the Idols or Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam with the all encompassing holocaust brutality. Since Infernus is back in the captain's chair, he's regained control of his band and once again we hear thoughtful, melodic dynamics and atmospheric development. The song structures are nothing terribly complex, but they show a more mature side to a modern black metal band that also retains its spirit and roots from the days in which it first started.

Although it is a strong and worthy comeback, it is not without its (minor) flaws. Understandably, this is one of the most important albums under the Gorgoroth name. It has come after a time of great struggle and finally triumph. It represents the victory of Infernus over Gaahl and King, who have both gone on to start their own new band. The sounds of victory can be heard in the music! At times, though, the music suffers from slightly repetitive behavior. This is common in black metal, though here I don't feel it's done convincingly. It allows some songs to become monotonous at points, though no song suffers entirely, and there are enough good riffs to save most songs from these moments before too long. Although I find it very symbolic and gratifying that this album harkens back to the old days of Gorgoroth, it would be nice to see/hear them striking back with some outstanding new ideas and attacks. This album is a huge contrast to the previous few releases, and sounds as if it could have come out right between Under the Sign of Hell and Destroyer. This is good, but it appears to show a lack of creativity and drive on the part of Infernus. However, like I said, I also understand the symbolism and importance of this album and its sound. It's a "fuck you" to Gaahl and King and their influence on Gorgoroth over the past decade. With the minor quibbles aside, this album is a terrific offering from Infernus and Pest and company. I eagerly await future releases, and hope Pest stays with Gorgoroth. Tormentor's contributions in the future should yield positive results as well, I hope.

It pleases me to see a positive outcome in the Gorgoroth battles. When I had heard that they had broken up my black heart was crushed. When I heard of the feud between the members, I was just angered. Now that this is all in the past and Gorgoroth lives strong once again under the rightful domination of Infernus and not Gaahl or King, my black heart has mended and I may go on living in this world. I am, however, a fan of Gaahl and King, and am interested in hearing their new band. I await!

But Gorgoroth has been reborn, and the future looks promising.

1. Aneuthanasia 02:19
2. Prayer 03:33
3. Rebirth 06:34
4. Building a Man 03:23
5. New Breed 05:29
6. Cleansing Fire 03:13
7. Human Sacrifice 03:46
8. Satan-Prometheus 05:37
9. Introibo ad Alatare Satanas 00:53

8.8/10