Gorgoroth - _Antichrist_
(Malicious Records, 1996)
by: Henry Akeley (9 out of 10)
The Satanic mumbo-jumbo that's all over this album is damn stale stuff by now. Look: there's nothing particularly courageous or rebellious about copping the -exact- same image and attitude as five hundred other, similar-sounding bands. And if by chance Gorgoroth (or whatever band) actually believes all this stuff - well, good for them, but I've got no use for medieval religion. This is 1996, not 1346. Why am I teeing off on Gorgoroth in particular here? Because the music on this mini-CD (the band's second) is simply some of the best extreme metal I've ever heard - but in terms of lyrics and imagery it's bogged way down in all these tired old cliches. Speaking exclusively of the music, though, these guys have definitely earned their 9 points out of 10. (If Satanism is one of your turn-ons, then, you just might think that this is the greatest release of all time.) After a very weird intro, "Bergtrollets Hevn" breaks forth in a grim gallop, only to explode after a couple of verses into a full-on black metal charge, desperate riffing propelled by hyper-fast drums. "Gorgoroth" begins at blazing speed, a melodic bass line woven into the 'surf' riff, then slows down for a bit of metallic ambience before ripping into another fast and frenzied attack. "Possessed" goes for a more prmitive, pounding feel, while closer "Sorg" incorporates a variety of cool (slower) tempos and effects. In terms of both production and (especially) music, this is quite an improvement upon their earlier, and very solid _Pentagram_ release.
(article published 12/8/1996)
Facebook
Twitter ::
:
::
HTML :
CSS ::
All contents copyright 1995-2024 their individual creators. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
All opinions expressed in Chronicles of Chaos are opinions held at the time of writing by the individuals expressing them.
They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else, past or present.