Metal Underground.com

Closing in on their fifteenth anniversary, Gorgoroth survives, but it’s unclear how. With a satanic backbone and a recent history filled with incarceration for heinous crimes, the Norwegian black metalers have the deck stacked heavily against them. To makes things worse, the face-painted Satanists have recently had a falling out with bassist and songwriter, King Ov Hell, who apparently wasn’t fully on board with the convictions of the rest of Gorgoroth. However, without delving into the moral underpinnings of Gorgoroth, which may very well be reason enough for most to avoid their material, it must be said that the music stands on its own as pristine black metal.

“Ad Majorem Sathanas Glorium,” the latest album from Gorgoroth, is chalk-full of the heavy, traditional black metal riffs and crushing drums that define the genre, and vocalist Gaahl delivers some seriously dark vocals on tracks such as the vicious opener “Wound upon Wound” and the masterful “White Seed.” Each track on the album is filled with a certain groove that allows for periods of chaos, but always comes back to a cohesive and addictive sound. The closing track, “Prosperity and Beauty,” is classic black metal, with a frenetic opening and a deliberate change of pace that leads into the meat of the song. From beginning to end, “Ad Majorem Sathanas Glorium” takes the listener through a brief (about thirty-one minutes), yet stirring journey through the darker side of metal.

With strong recent offerings from Satyricon and Vreid, it appears that black metal is as strong as ever, and if the moralities (or lack there of) are not an issue, Gorgoroth’s latest offering is a can’t miss in the genre.