Artist: Gorgoroth
Title: Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt
Type: Album
Label: Regain Records

The dust has settled. The backbiting, bitching and sniping of one of the most absurd soap operas to emerge from the Norwegian black metal scene in recent years is over. Gorgoroth guitarist and founder member Infernus has emerged victorious from the attempted coup by former members King and Gaahl to claim the name of his band and now delivers the album he hoped would 'cut deeper into the essence of metal'. Bold words and big expectations are riding on this record. As a huge fan of Gorgoroth's early works, this was a heartening outcome - it was Infernus's band, full stop, no matter what the other two may claim - however, the ready admission from the man himself that he had barely written a note of Gorgoroth's last 2-3 albums was a bit of a warning sign. A warning sign now thrown into sharp relief as if 'Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt' is anything to go by, it would appear that 'the true' Gorgoroth is a sadly spent force.

It is hard to pinpoint exactly where this album falls down, its failings being so myriad and widespread that singling any one of them out for criticism would deflect attention away from the fact that this is a comprehensive, all-encompassing disappointment. From the horribly over-clean, plastic production to the lumbering 'go nowhere' songs and everything in between, this is far from the venom-fuelled reassertment of victory that one hoped it would be. Where is the sense of triumph, the rage and brimstone given fuel by the conflict of the last two years? The album plods past at a predominantly turgid slow-to-mid pace, sporting no urgency, no bile, no SPITE. In an era where even once-derided acts such as Marduk have managed to hone themselves into a furious, atmospheric vehicle of sinister aggression, the clean, clicky melodo-chug of 'New Breed' sounds like something In Flames would have consigned to the cutting room floor in 1998.

Reminiscent at times of Dissection's 'Reinkaos' only without the songwriting flair, it is hard to see whom this album could appeal to. 'Building a Man' has a certain hypnotic Drudkh-esque quality to it at points, 'Cleansing Fire' attempts to throw some clumsily-executed Aura Noir twisted thrash into the blender but is quickly jettisoned in favour of more aimless plodding and none of it really sticks in the mind or stands out. Every attempt to take a song down a different path hits a dead-end before it has even begun. Far from the sound of a man back with a vengeance, it is the sound of man seemingly churning out music because he feels that he has to. Tired and meandering, this is a crushing disappointment for all concerned.

http://www.gorgoroth.info
http://www.myspace.com/gorgoroth

Frank Allain

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