Gorgoroth - True Norwegian Black Metal: Live in Grieghallen
Regain Records - RR100 - 23 June 2008
By Paddy Walsh
I must admit to being a little bemused by this latest offering from black metal stalwarts
Gorgoroth; the recent release of their infamous 2004 Krakow show would render this release redundant, no? Turns out the 'Live' part of the title is slightly misleading, as what transpires is actually a re-recording of some of their older material 'live' in studio. Hence the lack of crowd noise and the bizarrely decent production.
Gorgoroth, like too many of the black metal older guard, may have let their infamy overshadow their musical acheivements at times, but they've still had their moments of ferocity.
Antichrist and
Pentagram are two particularly nasty black metal releases, and it's rather pleasing to hear them again. A clear yet gritty production works wonders, and vocalist Gaahl proves himself as one of the genres more unsettling frontmen, his waspish rasp cutting through these tracks with aplomb. Perhaps it's more fitting to view
Live in Grieghallen as a 'best-of' of sorts, and it serves as a decent introduction to one of the most engaging 'true' black metal bands out there.
'Destroyer' is particularly vicious, whilst 'Bergtrollets Hevn's sub-punk assault recalls a time when
Darkthrone hadn't yet begun parodying themselves. 'Unchain My Heart!!!', despite its goofy title, isn't a cover of some 80s power ballad, but is beset thankfully by a distinctive groove. It's all quite good in fact, Gaahl's drunken attempt at 'epic' clean vocals 'Profetens Apenbaring' excepted. Yet was this whole thing necessary? The quick answer is no, especially since the albums from which these tracks were culled were re-released not so long ago. Furthermore, 31 minutes of music does not a good value album make, rendering
Live in Grieghallen one for the completists out there. Yet those unacquanited with one of Norway's long standing exports looking for a starting point might do well to pick this up, along with '06's superb
Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam. If you're wondering why I omitted the elephant in the room that is their recent split/divide/schism/whatever, along with the myriad other controversies that have dogged this band throughout the years, well, that's what Wikipedia is for isn't it?
Official Gorgoroth Website
Official Regain Records Website
Official Gorgoroth MySpace
