Showing posts with label Gorgoroth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gorgoroth. Show all posts

Monday, July 26, 2010

King (Ov Hell)

Tom Cato Visnes is better known as King, the former bassist of Gorgoroth. He is currently the other half of Ov Hell, together with Dimmu Borgir's Shagrath. King is also a member of many other extreme bands; Jotunspor, Sahg & I, to name a few. I only dwell deeper into King's background because I was wondering if any of these black metal chaps hold down a day job while propelling their music- King is actually an elementary school teacher in Bergen. It must be blissful to be living in Norway, yes? Mums are given 52 weeks of maternity leave upon giving birth. Black metal & civil service are not at odds. Great.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Gorgoroth: Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt

After the band name debacle, Gorgoroth is currently under the helm of guitarist, Infernus. The effective band line-up is as follows (as recruited by Infernus):
  • Vocals: Pest
  • Guitars: Infernus
  • Guitars: Tormentor
  • Boddel: Bass
  • Drums: Tomas Asklund
I have Gorgoroth's latest release, Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt in my possession & must say the songs are well pieced together. There are however no excessively fast, pre-Twilight of the Idols numbers, in fact, there are several tunes triggering the memory of the Reinchaos-era Dissection; very heavy with the essence of black metal still in tact. I always look forward to Infernus' guitar playing as he possesses this catchy, gallop riffs which are his trademark peddling.

The overall album production is impressive. If you think black metal dweebs are 100% lo-fi devotees who placed their recording equipment in a tree trunk & proceed to capture raw, evil, music in its ultra fundamental embodiment, then you are sick. As evident above, drummer Tomas Asklund is the very capable hand behind this successful recording in terms of technicalities.

As you have read recently in these pages, Infernus has an official endorsement deal with Jackson guitars but this didn't stop him from using the preferred recording guitar, in this case, a Fender Strat as seen in the pic above.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Infernal Jackson

Gorgoroth's Infernus, traditionally a Gibson player...

... is now an official endorser of Jackson guitars. It is interesting to see how manufacturers are slowly getting interested in the hard music players to propel their wares...

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

News: Gorgoroth



The turbulent Gaahl-fronted Gorgoroth (due to legal complications, the band 'Gorgoroth' are now sharing ownership between Gaahl & Infernus) had entered the studio for the recording of fresh materials for the upcoming (still unnamed) album.

It's good to know the musicians behind the controversy are actively churning out new ideas for propagation but some fans would really wish for the end of the entanglement. Both Gaahl & Infernus are great musicians, first & foremost.

Recording line-up as @ 25th Aug '08:
  • Vocals: Gaahl
  • Guitars: Teloch/ Ice Dale
  • Bass: King
  • Drums: Frost

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Gorgoroth: Black Mass Krakow 2004

This got them into a legal mess, its documentation here is the band's sublime way of telling the authorities they simply don't give a hoot...

Tell you what took place: Gorgoroth's date in Krakow saw the employment of 4 naked models, hooded & knotted to 4 crosses respectively. The authorities saw this as erotica extravaganza, not to mention sheer blasphemy, so the band had to bear the legal brunt.

If you have access to this footage, you'd realize, even after only the opening number, visual sexual gratification is a remote occurrence; it's more tormenting than stimulating, seeing a quartet of restrained individuals tied to wooden poles throughout the set. The blasphemous elements here are, of course, expected- it's a darn black metal act for goodness sake, not some pious superstar making an atheistic renouncement. Those 4 people were paid individuals, mind you, not some geek kidnapped & made to perform at gun-point.

Moving on to the music, the materials here are a tight performance by the band, who would've guessed there was a storm brewing over the ownership of the 'Gorgoroth' legalities following the strained relationship between frontman Ghaal & guitarist Infernus- the ommission of Infernus on the cover is implication itself. We also witness how a strict vegetarian, in his true black metal philosophy, is able to front a sacriligious delivery but Ghaal is one stiff performer. He didn't swirl his locks or beckoned & gestured to the masses; it's lacklustre showmanship, there's no hiding this. A close scrutiny of the instrument wielding/ pounding chaps prove their great musicianship, especially drummer Kvitrafn, pity his departure (to date, Mayhem's Hellhammer is bashing skins for the band). Also, Gibson (Les Paul & Flying V employed here) continue to be a potent tone generator for this music genre, it's undeniable.

This is a great documentation for fans of the music, other distractions aside. But not if you're easily offended, whatever the reasons may be.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Dead to this World: First Strike for Spiritual Renewance


They say former band members don't die, they just form a new band- that's exactly what happened to Kvitrafn (left- Gorgoroth) & Iscariah (right- Immortal).

This release is essentially a black metal offering but it is adequately laced with thrash's erratic mood swings, so much so that it would attract the average metal head who thinks there should be more life to the former genre. In this album we are able to hear:
  • Kvitrafn's dynamic tempo temperaments, not just the swirling thumps he issued during his Gorgoroth stint
  • Iscariah's vocal capacity (which drew much inspiration from Abbath but with absent troll-like squawks)
  • Iscariah's guitar playing content which proved he's not the bass shadow in his former Immortal life

Fans of Aura Noir/ I/ Grimfist would applaud this effort.