gorgoroth quantos possunt ad satanitatem trahunt

Released: 21 October 2009 Label: Regain Records

I can honestly say that I have never been a fan of black metal as a genre; although I have sometimes appreciated a few elements of the style I have never really enjoyed it. Until now… the latest Gorgoroth album has made me reassess my opinions, something my black metal friends will no doubt be saying is long past due. I’ll hold my hands up to being caught by the preconceptions I formed on listening to early examples of the genre.

On receiving the CD, I found myself thinking – “Well, let’s get the tough one out of the way first” – and put the Gorgoroth CD straight into my studio computer. The first forty seconds went pretty much as I was worrying they would and the rest of the first track didn’t grab me, although I did begin to think it had started to improve. What then followed was forty minutes of having the scales fall from my eyes. In fact, I’ve listened to it three times before even starting to write this review and several times during my deliberations. Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt is the first black metal album I have heard and instantly liked (first song excepted) and has made me decide to invest in a copy of some of their earlier albums in the not too distant future.

What really grabbed me on the first listen was that this album made me recall my early days listening to metal. In those deep dark days of vinyl (yes, I am THAT old), so many albums had a good first side and then an awesome side two. This is no different… well except that it is on CD obviously. There is not a weak song on the CD and one that even I thought was absolutely mind-blowing. Cleansing Fire begins with a riff that reminds me instantly of Dark Angel, which are one of my all time favourite live bands, before heading off into some nice dark (dare I say “grim”) and atmospheric music.

On the downside, I am still having a few issues with black metal vocal styles being a bit repetitive and would have liked some more variation – it’s the one thing that the genre hasn’t improved on in my opinion, even if some of the newer vocal talents have taken it to a new level. I will probably get lynched by the local black metal coven for daring to suggest a few guttural growls, shouts and so on to back up the standard vocal style. Of course, that is not to suggest that the only voice heard is the stereotypical “black metal” snarl – there is even some doom laden singing (yes, singing)!

I am reliably informed by our glorious leader that handing out stars or marks out of ten is passé and behind the curve on responsible music journalism. Today, I shall demonstrate my true love of authority and completely ignore that unspoken rule. In honour of the magazine that brought metal through from the underground here in the UK, I have chosen a capital letter – for me, the letter X (for MusicXtra, you understand). Gorgoroth have earned themselves a 4X. Or a Fosters. Whichever they prefer. See me after your next show in Nottingham, guys, and I shall live up to that promise.

by Kev McCarthy