By: Anders

Posted: Jun 20, 2006

Our favourite Norwegian black metal horde has returned, the mighty Gorgoroth once again strikes back, after the not top notch release "Twillight Of The Idols", which left me a bit disappointed behind. A couple of years have passed since that album was released and we do now write the year 2006 and the time has come for "Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam".

The album starts off in more or less where the last album ended, there are some ritual-inspired atmosphere over the music and the way Gaahl often chants the lyrics, it seems like a black mass being performed. Though the band has worked more aggression and madness into the music once again, which makes me think back to the era around "Under The Sign Of Hell", even though it doesn't become as violent on this new album of theirs. Infernus has been working hard on the guitar side of the album, there are some amazing and awe-striking riffs present on the album. They drag the listener into the world of Gorgoroth, together with creating a cold, sinister and evil atmosphere. The progression and variation of the riffs are great and there isn't a boring moment present. And even though the sound of the guitars are raw and noisy, they don't mud up, they get clear through the sound picture most of the time. The vocals are good as well, harsh and evil grunts and screams from Infernus and Gaahl, they guide us through hell and leave us stranded in the middle of Armageddon. The bass lines from King Ov Hell are hidden just below the guitars and tend to mud up in a thick layer of distortion, though the bass controls the rhythm and keeps it in a hard grip, together with the drums, which on this album is delivered by Frost. Can Frost deliver a bad performance? I don't think so, at least I haven't experienced it yet. The drumming is fitting for Gorgoroth, and some of the most varied and hard hitting the band has had, without the drumming leaving the boundaries of Gorgoroth, it still seem very machine-like here and there.

This is the best Gorgoroth album in a while, it seems like the band has found some new energy in all the fuzz there has been surrounding them in the last couple of years, and has transformed that energy into the album and into the music. This is harsh, cold, dark and hateful black metal, Gorgoroth anno 2006 slays most of the competition and one of the old bands going strongest. "Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam" is gripping from the first track 'Wound Upon Wound' until the last 'Prosperity And Beauty', with 'White Seed' and 'Untamed Forces' being my favourites.

Rating: 8/10

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