Gorgoroth……….The band have had their share of controversy since their inception in 1992, not least due to the now infamous Krakow Black Mass show, and of course the high profile split with Gaahl and King, and the ensuing legal battle over the use of the name Gorgoroth. It is important to remember that amid all of this, the band were key players in the rise of the Norwegian black metal scene, and remain as essential today as ever.
Instinctus Bestialis is the bands tenth studio full length (if you include 2011’s re-working of the “Under the Sign of Hell” album), and sees founder member Infernus (guitars) joined by Atteringer (vocals), Bodel (Bass) and Asklund (Drums), with guest appearances on lead guitar by Chris Cannella, Fabio Sperandio and Henrik Ekeroth.
There is a clear statement of intent from the outset of this homage to Satan with the melodic yet uncompromising blasts of “Radix Malorum”, which is perhaps the choice cut from the album for me. The pace slows a little on track two “Dionysian Rite” building to its doomy climax, before leading onto the hypnotic beats of “Ad Omnipotens Aeterne Diabolus”. A similar vibe continues as the album builds the atmosphere of the satanic ritualistic soundtrack until it is all over with the magnificent combination of “Kala Brahman” and “Awakening”, leaving the listener completely submerged in the dark world of Gorgoroth.
While, not as fast or pulverising as some black metal out there, the measured aggression and power is just as disturbing, akin to a calculated serial killer rather than an out of control street brawler. The sum of the component tracks is definitely greater than their individual worth, and the album will be best enjoyed as a whole rather than the odd track on a playlist, probably late at night in a dark candle lit room.
It will be interesting to hear these tracks live and I look forward to catching them next time they are on these shores.
(8/10 Andy Pountney)
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