Gorgoroth
Incipit Satan

Who knows if the Sex Pistols or Marilyn Manson have ever seen a Gorgoroth concert! If so, I believe they would have been scared out of their minds! Yes indeed, this band is truly malevolent. Their concerts seem like the lowest circle of Hell: impaled sheep heads with litres of sheep blood baths, satanic symbols (of course they couldn't be missing), and naked girls hoisted on crosses.

With an endless record of arrests and lawsuits, Gorgoroth is also known for their troubles with the law (which Norwegian black group hasn't had them?), as jail seems to be their second home by now. Obviously, the details of their stained criminal records are better explored elsewhere since this site aims to review albums and not criminal episodes. They might not be the most recommendable people in the world, but one cannot deny that Gorgoroth is an important pillar of Scandinavian black metal and, musically speaking, they have wisely evolved over time, even if this has generated mixed opinions.

This "Incipit Satan" marks the official recruitment of singer Gaahl (who only sang on the title track of the previous "Destroyer") replacing Pest. The band dedicates the work to the drummer Grim (Erik Brødreskift), who died by suicide after a drug overdose. With this album, Gorgoroth experiment with new sounds such as industrial and ambient and present some clean singing parts, but the base is still pure Norwegian black metal. The production is brutal as always, but compared to the past, it is more varied and engaging. The title track opens the show (or perhaps better to say the massacre) with an authentic sonic onslaught, but almost halfway through the track, electronic whispers can be heard, which surely made quite a few early fans turn up their noses. Other pieces worth mentioning are "A world to win", a blend of black, electronic, and melody; "Unchain my Heart!!!" reminisces the thrash sounds of Slayer, but in a more furious manner. "When love Rages wild in my heart" is the darkest track on the album, where Gaahl displays a deep and sinister voice.

For me, the band's most mature album (not the best, the most mature), which breaks away from the usual black metal stylistic clichés.