Gorgoroth is a Norwegian
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
band based in
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist
Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a
Satanic band and have drawn controversy due to some of their concerts, which have featured impaled sheep heads and mock crucifixions. The band is named after the dead
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
of darkness in the land of
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced ; from Sindarin ''Black Land'' and Quenya ''Land of Shadow'') is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and to t ...
from
J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
''.
History
Early years (1992–1995)
Gorgoroth was founded in 1992 by guitarist
Infernus. In 1993, the band released their first demo, entitled ''
A Sorcery Written in Blood
''A Sorcery Written in Blood'' was the first demo released by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. The title of the demo was taken from the lyrics of the song "The Return of Darkness and Evil" by the band Bathory. The demo was released i ...
''. On 7 January 1994, Firda, the major newspaper in the county of
Sogn og Fjordane where the band originated from, ran a cover story on the demo, with the headline "Local music with Satanic symbolism". According to the article, the release of the demo and flyers with Satanic symbols led to "concerned parents contacting the Sheriff's Office in Fjaler". After the demo was released, Gorgoroth signed a record deal with Embassy Productions and started work on their debut full-length ''
Pentagram''. When bassist Kjettar left the band in 1993,
Samoth of
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
joined Gorgoroth as their new bassist, and participated in the recording of the album. After ''
Pentagram'' was completed and released in 1994, drummer Goat left the band and was replaced by
Frost
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
from
Satyricon. The band performed their first concert at Lusa Lottes Pøbb in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
on 3 May 1994 at a four-day Black Metal Nights festival with bands such as
Dark Funeral (who also made their live debut),
Dissection
Dissection (from Latin ' "to cut to pieces"; also called anatomization) is the dismembering of the body of a deceased animal or plant to study its anatomical structure. Autopsy is used in pathology and forensic medicine to determine the cause o ...
,
Enslaved,
Marduk
Marduk (Cuneiform: dAMAR.UTU; Sumerian: ''amar utu.k'' "calf of the sun; solar calf"; ) was a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon. When Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of ...
(who played their first gig abroad),
Gehenna
The Valley of Hinnom ( he, , lit=Valley of the son of Hinnom, translit=Gēʾ ḇen-Hīnnōm) is a historic valley surrounding Ancient Jerusalem, Ancient Jerusalem from the west and southwest. The valley is also known by the name Gehinnom ( ...
and
Hades Almighty
Hades Almighty is a Norwegian black metal band from Bergen, Norway. They were formed in 1992, originally under the moniker Hades. They were forced to change their name to Hades Almighty in 1998, following complaints from an American band with a ...
.
This was followed by gigs with Enslaved in
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
(in June and September) and in
Haugesund
Haugesund () is a municipality on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway. While the population is greater in the neighboring Karmøy municipality, the main commercial and economic centre of the Haugaland region in northern Rogaland and southern ...
(in November), and the band performed their first gig abroad in
Annaberg-Buchholz in Germany on 10 December 1994. The same year, the band commenced the recording of ''
Antichrist'' (originally titled ''Død''), their second full-length album.
With Pest (1995–1997)
![Pest and nfernus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Pest_and_nfernus.jpg)
Vocalist
Hat decided to leave Gorgoroth in September 1995, but agreed to finish recording the vocal tracks for ''
Antichrist''. After Hat left, Infernus recruited vocalist
Pest
Pest or The Pest may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns
** Weed, a plant considered undesirable
* Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection
** ...
from
Obtained Enslavement as Gorgoroth's new vocalist. In December 1995, the band supported
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...
at the
London Astoria
The London Astoria was a music venue at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England.
Originally a warehouse during the 1920s, the building became a cinema and ballroom. It was converted for use as a theatre in the 1970s. After further developme ...
, a show which also included the band
Primordial
Primordial may refer to:
* Primordial era, an era after the Big Bang. See Chronology of the universe
* Primordial sea (a.k.a. primordial ocean, ooze or soup). See Abiogenesis
* Primordial nuclide, nuclides, a few radioactive, that formed before ...
. This marked the first Gorgoroth live appearance of both vocalist Pest and bassist
Ares
Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war b ...
. In 1995 the band had been offered a record deal with
Moonfog Productions
Moonfog Productions is a Norwegian record label, founded by Satyricon frontman Satyr and Tormod Opedal. The label was established unofficially in 1992 and released its first record in 1994. The label specialized in black metal and other genres wh ...
, but this offer was rejected in favour of an offer made by German label
Malicious Records
Malicious may refer to:
Films and video games
* ''Malicious'' (1973 film) (''Malizia''), an Italian comedy starring Laura Antonelli
* ''Malicious'' (1995 film), an American thriller starring Molly Ringwald
* ''Malicious'' (2018 film), an Americ ...
.
Malicious Records
Malicious may refer to:
Films and video games
* ''Malicious'' (1973 film) (''Malizia''), an Italian comedy starring Laura Antonelli
* ''Malicious'' (1995 film), an American thriller starring Molly Ringwald
* ''Malicious'' (2018 film), an Americ ...
released the band's second album, ''
Antichrist'', in 1996, and also re-released the debut album ''
Pentagram''. The band went on a European tour with
Satyricon and
Dissection
Dissection (from Latin ' "to cut to pieces"; also called anatomization) is the dismembering of the body of a deceased animal or plant to study its anatomical structure. Autopsy is used in pathology and forensic medicine to determine the cause o ...
in April 1996,
followed by a one-off gig in
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
with Hades Almighty and Gehenna, at which the live EP ''
The Last Tormentor
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanism, Satanic band ...
'' was recorded. The band also played a one-off gig in the fall in
Bischofswerda, Germany, with
Behemoth
Behemoth (; he, בְּהֵמוֹת, ''bəhēmōṯ'') is a beast from the biblical Book of Job, and is a form of the primeval chaos-monster created by God at the beginning of creation; he is paired with the other chaos-monster, Leviathan, and ...
. Soon the name Gorgoroth was commonplace in the black metal underground, both in Norway and in the rest of Europe, if somewhat overshadowed by some of the more famous black metal bands such as
Mayhem
Mayhem most commonly refers to:
* Mayhem (crime), a type of crime
Mayhem may also refer to:
People
* Monica Mayhem (born 1978), Australian pornographic actress
* Jason "Mayhem" Miller, American mixed martial arts fighter
* Mayhem Miller (dra ...
or
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
. The band's third full-length album, ''
Under the Sign of Hell
''Under the Sign of Hell'' is the third studio album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. Recorded in 1996 and released in 1997, it was the first album to feature Ares on bass (on one track) and the only one to feature Grim on drums.
Releas ...
'', was recorded in spring 1996, and guitarist
Tormentor joined the band later in the year. ''
Under the Sign of Hell
''Under the Sign of Hell'' is the third studio album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. Recorded in 1996 and released in 1997, it was the first album to feature Ares on bass (on one track) and the only one to feature Grim on drums.
Releas ...
'' was released in 1997, and Gorgoroth went on their first headlining European tour in fall 1997, with support by
Mystic Circle
Mystic Circle is a German black metal band formed in Ludwigshafen, în 1992.
History
Mystic Circle was formed in 1992 in Ludwigshafen. Mystic Circleat AllMusic The band originally played death metal and recorded a never-released rehearsal dem ...
. It was on this tour that Infernus and Tormentor were approached by the major German
heavy metal record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
, who wanted to sign the band. The band accepted the offer in late 1997.
Tenure with Nuclear Blast (1997–2003)
The move to
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
was controversial among many black metal enthusiasts who pertained to the tenets of an 'underground black metal scene'.
The first album recorded and released for Nuclear Blast was ''
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
'' (1998). New singer
Gaahl
Kristian Eivind Espedal (born 7 August 1975), better known by his stage name Gaahl, is a Norwegian vocalist and painter. He is best known as the former frontman of Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. He is also the founder and lead vocalist of ...
joined the band at this time, but was heard on only one song, the title track "Destroyer". The music and lyrics on the album were mainly written by Infernus, but guitarist Tormentor also contributed as composer, most notably on the title track, and former vocalist Pest wrote the lyrics on 4 tracks. In May 1998, Gorgoroth played five dates in Germany on
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...
's European tour, with support from
Old Man's Child and
Einherjer
Einherjer is a Viking metal band from Haugesund, Norway, founded in 1993. Some of the band's albums are heavily folk influenced, while others have a more traditional symphonic black metal sound. Their lyrics retell Norse legends, and each of th ...
. Gorgoroth also performed at
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a rock music, rock music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all styles and su ...
in summer 1998, and performed at the
Tuska Open Air Metal Festival in
Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city' ...
, and in
Oslo, Norway with Gehenna and
Dødheimsgard.
In 1999, Gorgoroth began journeying into unknown territory with the recording of ''
Incipit Satan
''Incipit Satan'' is the fifth full-length album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released on 7 February 2000 by Nuclear Blast, and reissued in 2006 by Back on Black Records. ''Incipit Satan'' was the first album with King ov Hel ...
''. Though mainly written by Infernus once again, the album delved into musical ideas not expanded upon by the group in previous recordings. Songs such as "Will to Power" showcased strong
industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
,
dark ambient and
noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...
influences (more so than on ''Destroyer'' and ''Under the Sign of Hell'', both of which showed signs of experimentation). The song "When Love Rages Wild in My Heart" featured clean,
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
y vocals. Overall, the album displayed
progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
tendencies, yet still retained a traditional black metal edge and Infernus' signature sound. The album was recorded during 1999, after drummer Vrolok and bassist T-Reaper had left the band and been replaced by drummer
Erlend Erichsen
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
(a.k.a. Sjt. Erichsen) and bassist
King ov Hell. Drummer Erlend Erichsen left the band after the recordings were finished, and ''
Incipit Satan
''Incipit Satan'' is the fifth full-length album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released on 7 February 2000 by Nuclear Blast, and reissued in 2006 by Back on Black Records. ''Incipit Satan'' was the first album with King ov Hel ...
'' was released in 2000, preceded by a European tour in December 1999, supporting
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling ...
. In May 2000, Gorgoroth headlined a European tour, with bands like
Old Man's Child and
Krisiun
Krisiun is a Brazilian death metal band, founded by brothers Alex Camargo (bass, vocals) (Born March 11, 1972), Moyses Kolesne (guitars) (Born August 11, 1973) and Max Kolesne (drums) (Born June 12, 1974). Since its formation in 1990, the gro ...
as supporting acts. In early June 2000, Gorgoroth performed at the first
Hole in the Sky festival in Bergen, Norway. This festival was arranged in memory of former Gorgoroth drummer Grim, and also included bands such as
Immortal,
Enslaved,
Obtained Enslavement,
Hades Almighty
Hades Almighty is a Norwegian black metal band from Bergen, Norway. They were formed in 1992, originally under the moniker Hades. They were forced to change their name to Hades Almighty in 1998, following complaints from an American band with a ...
and
Aeternus
Aeternus is a Norwegian blackened death metal band from Bergen, Norway. It was formed in 1993 as an idea of Ronny Hovland, calling himself Ares, and Erik Heggernes, a.k.a. Vrolok. Later in 1996 Nicola Trier, a.k.a. Morrigan, joined the duo as a ...
. On 23 June 2000, Gorgoroth headlined the "Knüppelnacht" stage at the
With Full Force
Full Force (previously With Full Force) is a German heavy metal music, heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented music festival held annually since 1994. The 2011 edition took place between 1 and 3 July at Roitzschjora airport in Löbnitz.
Lineups ...
festival in
Leipzig, Germany.
After a couple of Norwegian concerts in 2000 and 2001, Gorgoroth made their hitherto only live appearance in the US at the Milwaukee Metalfest in August 2001. In September and October 2001, the band went on two mini tours of Mexico and Colombia. In 2001, Gorgoroth was also featured on a
tribute album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...
to the Norwegian
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
band Mayhem, with a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of that band's "Life Eternal" from the ''
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'' album. This song had been recorded in 1998, and featured
Gaahl
Kristian Eivind Espedal (born 7 August 1975), better known by his stage name Gaahl, is a Norwegian vocalist and painter. He is best known as the former frontman of Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. He is also the founder and lead vocalist of ...
on vocals, as well as Infernus and Tormentor on rhythm guitars, T-Reaper on lead guitar and bass, and Vrolok on drums. This is the only released Gorgoroth recording which has not appeared on a full-length Gorgoroth album. In February 2002, vocalist Gaahl was taken into custody after being accused of having beaten a man at an after-party. This led to him having to serve 9 months in prison in 2002, due to an already existing unserved 1-year sentence for previously committed acts of violence. He was released from prison in December 2002.
In 2002, Tormentor decided to quit the band due to no longer being able to cooperate with King, ending the stable 5-piece line-up of Gaahl, Infernus, Tormentor, King ov Hell and
Kvitrafn, which had been formed in 2000. After Tormentor's departure, Gorgoroth began writing their new album, ''
Twilight of the Idols''. The album showed a return to a more solidified black metal style, but was still quite different from early Gorgoroth releases, mainly due to the fact that most of the album's songs were written by bassist King and drummer Kvitrafn rather than Infernus. The band played their first live gig in a year and a half at Garage in Bergen in April 2003, with Tormentor returning as guitarist for a one-off show.
''Twilight of the Idols'' was released by Nuclear Blast in May 2003, and the band subsequently performed at Hole in the Sky in Bergen in August 2003. This marked the first Gorgoroth live appearance of session guitarist
Apollyon
The Hebrew term Abaddon ( he, אֲבַדּוֹן ''’Ăḇaddōn'', meaning "destruction", "doom"), and its Greek equivalent Apollyon ( grc-koi, Ἀπολλύων, ''Apollúōn'' meaning "Destroyer") appear in the Bible as both a place of de ...
of
Aura Noir
Aura Noir is a Norwegian black/thrash metal band from Oslo. Aura Noir is heavily influenced by early thrash bands such as Voivod, Slayer, Sodom and Kreator, to the latter they have also dedicated some of their songs. The band's main lyrical th ...
.
Controversy in Kraków (2004)
![Gorgoroth by Christian Misje](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Gorgoroth_by_Christian_Misje.jpg)
On 1 February 2004, during a concert being recorded for a DVD in
Kraków, Poland, the band displayed sheep heads on stakes, a bloodbath of 80 litres of sheep's blood, Satanic symbols, and four naked crucified real-life models on stage. A police investigation took place with allegations of religious offence (which is prosecutable under Polish law) and cruelty to animals. Though these charges were considered, the band was not charged as it was ruled that they were unaware of the fact that what they were doing was illegal, although the concert organiser was eventually fined 10,000
zł in 2007 as he knew about it and neither informed the band that it was against the law nor intervened. The whole controversy led to the band being dropped from the roster of the Nuclear Blast Tour and the footage of the concert being confiscated by the police. Following this controversy – and with Gorgoroth also having achieved a larger degree of worldwide recognition through Nuclear Blast's distribution facilities – the contract between both parties was bilaterally terminated. Gorgoroth further secured a reputation as a band with a vehement anti-
right-hand path agenda, regarding which certain employees in the company were alleged to have felt uneasy due to their own personal beliefs.
After a successful South American tour of Brazil, Chile and Argentina, and a performance at Norway's
Inferno Festival, it was announced in April 2004 that drummer Kvitrafn had decided to leave the band. For the band's European and
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
n headlining tours of October and November 2004, drummer Dirge Rep (ex-
Enslaved,
Gehenna
The Valley of Hinnom ( he, , lit=Valley of the son of Hinnom, translit=Gēʾ ḇen-Hīnnōm) is a historic valley surrounding Ancient Jerusalem, Ancient Jerusalem from the west and southwest. The valley is also known by the name Gehinnom ( ...
) and guitarist Teloch (
Nidingr) were recruited.
''Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam'' (2005–2007)
After various shows around Europe in the first half of 2005, including the
With Full Force Festival
Full Force (previously With Full Force) is a German heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented music festival held annually since 1994. The 2011 edition took place between 1 and 3 July at Roitzschjora airport in Löbnitz.
Lineups
2010
2–4 July ...
in July, Gorgoroth then went out on a month-long European tour with
1349
Year 1349 ( MCCCXLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–December
* January 22 – An earthquake affects L'Aquila in southern Italy with a maximum Merca ...
in November 2005, this time with Skagg (Gaahlskagg) replacing Teloch as live guitarist. On 10 December 2005, Gorgoroth played live in
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
, Norway, a gig which was to be their last live performance until summer 2007.
Gorgoroth released ''
Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
''Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam'' is the seventh studio album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released in Europe on 19 June 2006 by Regain Records and in the US on 25 July 2006 by Candlelight Records. This was the only Gorgoroth alb ...
'' in June 2006 through
Regain Records
Regain Records was a Swedish-based independent record label. The label predominantly released death metal and black metal albums. Regain Records was founded from what remained of the former label, Wrong Again Records, by Per Gyllenbäck in 1997 ...
. This was only the second Gorgoroth album to be released since 2000's ''
Incipit Satan
''Incipit Satan'' is the fifth full-length album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released on 7 February 2000 by Nuclear Blast, and reissued in 2006 by Back on Black Records. ''Incipit Satan'' was the first album with King ov Hel ...
'' – a noticeable reduction in productivity from a band that had previously released 2 demos, 5 full-length albums and 1 live EP between 1993 and 2000. For the recording of the new album, Frost again performed on the drums. This album helped the band to expand its fan base. A short time after the album was released, bassist King quit the band. According to the official website, King left because he "had problems fronting some of the ideological aspects of his band GORGOROTH's agenda". In an interview made shortly after quitting the band, he confirmed he had problems with the ideology in public, but not in his private life. Gorgoroth was nominated in the "Metal" category at the 35th annual
Spellemann Awards for this album (the Norwegian equivalent to the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s). Gaahl served a sentence in jail from spring to December 2006 for the assault which happened in February 2002, and Infernus served a 4-month sentence for 'gross negligent rape' between October 2006 and March 2007, for an incident which took place in 2003.
When the latter was released, it was reported that Infernus had started "working on new material, both music and lyrics for an upcoming album, title yet undecided".
In January 2007, it was reported that Gaahl was under investigation by Norwegian Police for his comments in an interview in ''
Metal: A Headbanger's Journey'' (2005), which had been broadcast on Norway's Lydverket NRK 1 on 24 January 2007, where he said "church burnings are things that I support one-hundred percent, and they should have been done much more and will be done much more in the future". In April 2007, a 5-part series entitled ''
True Norwegian Black Metal'', produced by Peter Beste for
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
, aired on VBS.tv, covering some of the aspects of Gaahl's life. With King back in the band, the video for "Carving a Giant" off ''
Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
''Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam'' is the seventh studio album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released in Europe on 19 June 2006 by Regain Records and in the US on 25 July 2006 by Candlelight Records. This was the only Gorgoroth alb ...
'' was also filmed and broadcast on Norwegian MTV that month.
In July and August 2007, Gorgoroth returned to the live arena with performances at festivals in Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. In September 2007, the band went on a South American tour of
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
and
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
with
Belphegor. These would be the last Gorgoroth concerts to feature Gaahl and King.
''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt'' (2007–2011)
In October 2007, Infernus announced the decision of Gaahl and King ov Hell to part ways on the band's official
Myspace page.
Gaahl and King claimed that they had "fired" Infernus from Gorgoroth and claimed the rights to the name of the band, with King having made a trademark application the previous month.
This dispute was concluded in March 2009 when a court verdict was announced, which recognised Infernus as the legitimate user of the name and that Gaahl and King had excluded themselves from Gorgoroth upon attempting to remove the founding member.
Shortly after parting ways with Gaahl and King, Infernus said that he was in the process of finishing and preparing the material he reportedly started in October 2006 and was first reported writing when he was released on parole in March 2007, declaring the title to be ''
Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt'', to be released on Regain Records. He also stated that future live performances would minimise use of the Gorgoroth songs written between 2002 and 2004
(although only three songs by King ov Hell and two by Kvitrafn – four of which had lyrics written by Gaahl – were ever performed live), and that priority would be given to both older and brand new material.
In December 2007, he revealed
Tomas Asklund
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
and
Frank Watkins had joined Gorgoroth as drummer and bassist, respectively.
Watkins later took the stage name "Bøddel", which is the Norwegian word for "Executioner", the old name of Obituary.
In April 2008, Infernus announced he was to depart for
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, Sweden,
where the next few months were spent rehearsing the material for ''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt'' in Tomas Asklund's Monolith Studio.
The controversial 2004
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
concert was finally released on DVD in June 2008, more than 4 years after its recording. It was released by
Metal Mind Productions under the title ''
Black Mass Krakow 2004
''Black Mass Krakow 2004'' is a live concert DVD by the Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released by Metal Mind on 9 June 2008 in Europe and on 8 July 2008 in the US. The DVD is of the band's controversial 2004 concert that was filmed ...
'', and entered the Norwegian music DVD chart at position 4 in its first week of release. It remained in the charts for five weeks, peaking at a number 3 position.
On 30 May 2008, Regain Records announced the June 2008 release of ''
True Norwegian Black Metal - Live in Grieghallen
True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality.
True may also refer to:
Places
* True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States
* True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States
* Tr ...
'', a new Gorgoroth album which had been recorded live in studio in mid-October 2007.
The recording line-up consisted of Infernus on guitars and bass, Gaahl on vocals, Teloch on session guitars, and Garghuf on session drums. However, ostensibly in part due to the circumstances of the ongoing name dispute, the distribution of the album was
temporarily halted in July 2008, with the final decision to be made in a yet-to-be announced trial in Sweden.
Infernus also announced in August that a pre-recording for ''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt'' was made with guitars, bass and drums. After having spent the previous few months rehearsing in Monolith Studio, Infernus said that he was working on arrangements with assistance from former Gorgoroth guitarist Tormentor.
In September 2008, Infernus announced Tormentor had accepted his offer to rejoin Gorgoroth, together with Tomas Asklund and Bøddel. On 4 December 2008, it was announced that Pest had returned as the vocalist.
Shortly after the conclusion of the Gorgoroth name dispute, recording of ''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt'' began when Tomas Asklund commenced with the drum tracks in Monolith Studio.
Infernus "manually recorded six basic guitars" for the album,
and Bøddel and Pest recorded bass and vocals respectively in June.
![Gorgoroth HITS09 by Christian-Misje-2513](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Gorgoroth_HITS09_by_Christian-Misje-2513.jpg)
In May 2009, it was announced that Gorgoroth would play live again on 29 August 2009 at the 10th anniversary edition of the Hole in the Sky festival in Bergen, Norway. This would be the band's first live appearance since September 2007.
In late June 2009, it was announced that the vocals on ''True Norwegian Black Metal - Live in Grieghallen'' were rerecorded by Pest.
A week later the release dates and track listing for ''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt'' were revealed.
At the band's headlining concert at the Hole in the Sky festival on 29 August the set list consisted mainly of older material, including two songs off the ''Pentagram'' album which had not been performed live since October 1997. The band also performed live, for the very first time, the new song "Aneuthanasia" off ''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt''. Gorgoroth also performed at
UKA 2009 in Trondheim, Norway, on 19 October 2009. This concert coincided with the release of ''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt''.
Upon its release the album was well received, with many reviewers commenting on the band's return to its roots, comparing the album with earlier releases like ''Antichrist'' (1996). It was revealed in October 2009 that work on the follow-up to ''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt'', including rehearsals by Infernus and Tomas Asklund in Stockholm, had taken place around that time. On 1 April 2010, it was officially announced that half of the yet-to-be-titled new album had been prerecorded in pre-production form, and that work on the album would continue through the year in between touring and festival appearances, with a tentative 2011 release date.
In April 2010 Gorgoroth embarked on a mini-tour of Europe consisting of five dates in Germany as well as one each in France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands, to promote ''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt''. The band also performed at five European festivals in summer 2010: Germany's
Summer Breeze Open Air
Summer Breeze Open Air is an annual German heavy metal music festival. It was first held in 1997. The festival had been held in Abtsgmünd until 2006 when it was moved to its new location of Dinkelsbühl, Bavaria. The festival draws around 40,00 ...
festival,
the
Ragnarök Festival in Germany,
Brutal Assault
Brutal Assault is an open-air extreme metal festival that takes place in the 18th-century army fortress Josefov, located in Jaroměř, Czechia. It is held each August early in the month from Wednesday until Saturday. The festival started in 199 ...
in the Czech Republic,
Bloodstock Open Air in the UK, and the Finnish festival
Jalometalli. In September 2010, Gorgoroth embarked on a mini-tour in South America and were announced to be touring Europe again in November 2010 after switching to Massive Music booking agency.
It was announced in October 2010 that the band was about to put the finishing touches on a re-recording of their 1997 release ''Under the Sign of Hell''. The re-recording, with Pest on vocals and Tomas Asklund on drums, was released as ''Under the Sign of Hell 2011'' in December 2011.
''Instinctus Bestialis'' and Bøddel's death (2012–present)
In August 2012, Pest notified the band members that he would not be able to take part in Gorgoroth's September 2012 tour of Latin America. In response, Infernus kicked Pest out of the band.
Taake's vocalist Hoest performed vocals for the Latin America tour. Atterigner of the
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n band Triumfall was announced as vocalist for the next Gorgoroth studio album, ''
Instinctus Bestialis
''Instinctus Bestialis'' is the ninth full-length studio album by Norwegian black metal act Gorgoroth. It was released on 8 June 2015 by Soulseller Records. It was also released digitally, as well as on digipak CD in a limited first pressing, lim ...
''.
The mixing of the album was completed by June 2014 and mastering of it was to be done the next month.
As of 6 March 2015, the album artwork and track listing was revealed and the release date of 12 June 2015 was confirmed. It is to be sold through Soulseller Records. On 18 October 2015, bassist Bøddel (
Frank Watkins) died from cancer. Hoest stayed as vocalist and Phobos became the new drummer. In 2019,
Infernus and Phobos announced creation of their own beer, Radix Malorum, in collaboration with Lysefjorden Microbrewery.
Suppression of lyrics and tablature
Gorgoroth not only refuses to publish their lyrics but also actively suppresses any public showings of fan-written reconstructions. The reason for this suppression is not fully known, though Infernus has expressed disdain towards the prospect of material being covered by other bands, among other reasons.
The metal-lyric website Darklyrics.com contains the message "Gorgoroth lyrics removed due to copyright complaint by the band", in lieu of any actual lyrics. Lyricsondemand.com displays a cease-and-desist message from Arne Beckmann of Prophecies Publishing which reads as follows:
Dear siteowners,
Please note that I am writing on behalf of Prophecies Publishing (PP) and as their business manager. PP is the official music publishing company of the band Gorgoroth.
The band has requested us to take care of a removal of their lyrics from your website.
Herewith we request you to remove any lyrics of the band Gorgoroth from your systems immediately, but not later than 18th Feb 2004.
Please be aware that we will undertake any necessary steps (even legal steps) to enforce this.
This is nothing against you and your business or dedication, but you will understand that we as music publisher of the band will have to enforce the copyright as desired by the songwriters.
Since you did not license the lyrics you violate international copyright laws and conventions.
With best regards,
Arne Beckmann
Prophecies Publishing
Lyrics and satanism
Gorgoroth are known for their satanic-themed and anti-Christian lyrics.
[ The band's founder and guitarist Infernus is openly a theistic satanist and considers himself "]Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
's minister on Earth". He formed Gorgoroth to express his Satanist beliefs. The band's former vocalist Gaahl
Kristian Eivind Espedal (born 7 August 1975), better known by his stage name Gaahl, is a Norwegian vocalist and painter. He is best known as the former frontman of Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. He is also the founder and lead vocalist of ...
is openly anti-Christian. In an interview for the 2005 heavy metal documentary '' Metal: A Headbanger's Journey'', Gaahl was asked what inspired Gorgoroth's music and his reply was simply "Satan". When asked what he believes Satan represents, he said "Freedom".
Gaahl explained his use of Satanic and anti-Christian themes: "We live in a Christian world and we have to speak their language ... When I use the word 'Satan' it means the natural order, the will of a man, the will to grow, the will to become the superman and not to be oppressed by any law such as the church, which is only a way to control the masses."
Gaahl and Infernus were openly supportive of the church burnings perpetrated by members of the black metal scene in the early 1990s. Gaahl further said, "there should have been more of them, and there will be more of them".
Band members
Current members
The last band statement concerning official members from January 2014 states these musicians. The current state is unclarified.
* Infernus (Roger Tiegs) – guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
s, bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
, drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
, vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
(1992–present)
* Tomas Asklund
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
– drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
(2007–present)
* Atterigner (Stefan Todorović) – vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
(2012–present)
* Bøddel - bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
(2007–2015; died 2015)
Current live members
* Phobos (Elefterios Santorinios) – live drums (2011-2014, 2015–present)
* Guh.Lu (Francesco) – live bass (2012–present)
* Aindiachaí (Adam Dunlea) - live guitars (2017–present)
* Hoest (Ørjan Stedjeberg) – live vocals (2012-2013, 2014–present)
Former members
Vocals
* Hat (Jan Åge Solstad) (1992–1995)
* Pest
Pest or The Pest may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns
** Weed, a plant considered undesirable
* Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection
** ...
(1995–1997, 2008–2012)
* Gaahl
Kristian Eivind Espedal (born 7 August 1975), better known by his stage name Gaahl, is a Norwegian vocalist and painter. He is best known as the former frontman of Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. He is also the founder and lead vocalist of ...
(1998–2007)
Guitars
* Tormentor (1996–2003, 2008–2012)
* Apollyon
The Hebrew term Abaddon ( he, אֲבַדּוֹן ''’Ăḇaddōn'', meaning "destruction", "doom"), and its Greek equivalent Apollyon ( grc-koi, Ἀπολλύων, ''Apollúōn'' meaning "Destroyer") appear in the Bible as both a place of de ...
(2003–2004): session
* Teloch (2004–2005, 2007): session
* Skagg (2005): session
* Fábio Zperandio
* Paimon (Błażej Kazimierz Adamczuk)
Bass
* Kjettar (1992–1993)
* Samoth (1993–1994)
* Storm (1995)
* Ares (1995–1997)
* T-Reaper (1998–1999)
* King ov Hell (1999–2007)
* Bøddel (2007–2015; died 2015)
Drums
* Goat Pervertor (Rune Thorsnes) (1992–1994)
* Frost
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
(1994–1995, 2001: session, 2004–2005)
* Grim (1995–1996; died 1999)
* Vrolok (1996–1998)
* Sjt. Erichsen (1999)
* Ivar Thormodsæter (1999): session
* Kvitrafn (Einar Selvik) (2000–2004)
* Dirge Rep (Per Arild Håvarstein) (2004–2007): session
* Garghuf (2007): session
* Vyl (Vegar Larsen) (2009-2011, 2014-2015, 2017)
Timeline
Discography
;Studio albums
*'' Pentagram'' (1994)
*'' Antichrist'' (1996)
*''Under the Sign of Hell
''Under the Sign of Hell'' is the third studio album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. Recorded in 1996 and released in 1997, it was the first album to feature Ares on bass (on one track) and the only one to feature Grim on drums.
Releas ...
'' (1997)
*'' Destroyer or About How to Philosophize with the Hammer'' (1998)
*''Incipit Satan
''Incipit Satan'' is the fifth full-length album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released on 7 February 2000 by Nuclear Blast, and reissued in 2006 by Back on Black Records. ''Incipit Satan'' was the first album with King ov Hel ...
'' (2000)
*'' Twilight of the Idols'' (2003)
*''Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
''Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam'' is the seventh studio album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released in Europe on 19 June 2006 by Regain Records and in the US on 25 July 2006 by Candlelight Records. This was the only Gorgoroth alb ...
'' (2006)
*'' Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt'' (2009)
*''Instinctus Bestialis
''Instinctus Bestialis'' is the ninth full-length studio album by Norwegian black metal act Gorgoroth. It was released on 8 June 2015 by Soulseller Records. It was also released digitally, as well as on digipak CD in a limited first pressing, lim ...
'' (2015)
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Norwegian black metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 1992
1992 establishments in Norway
Candlelight Records artists
Century Media Records artists
Forces of Satan Records artists
Musical groups from Sogn og Fjordane
Obscenity controversies in music
Norwegian Satanists
Musical quintets
Things named after Tolkien works