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Maybe
I had heard so much blah blah about this concert that my
expectations were set way too high. Or maybe underground music
and the gimmicks that elevate it have gotten so extreme that is
impossible for any metal fan to feel shocked anymore. As a
result, the only way to impress is through awesome music,
because unless you pull a ridiculous stunt like public
immolation or limb mutilation I am simply not going to be
shocked. Sure, a poop eating fest like those GG Allin used to
indulge in back in the 80’ is sure to leave a long lasting
impression, but what he did is done and for the most part black
metallers stay away from scatological activities. Usually, they
leave those matters to death metallers and grindcore heads.
Norway’s black
metallers Gorgoroth are no strangers to controversy or gruesome
activities. The band is
led by Gaahl, a stoic man with the facial texture of a rock in
erosion. Gaahl is inclined to intimidate people via his famous
silent stare during which he manages to make the most common day
into the most awkward snippet of your life. A couple of years
ago he was convicted for beating a man. He had his
reasons, he says. He lives usually isolated in a cabin in the
Norwegian woods. He is a strange character, that’s for sure. Most
recently he turned a lot of heads by coming out of the closet
and embarking in a new career as a fashion designer. Good for
him. Satan can only do so much for your pocket and your ass.
But there has been
turmoil in the Gorgoroth camp in recent years. The band was
formed by guitarist Infernus back in 1992 and only one thing has
remained constant; an ever shifting line up. For a while members of
Obtained Enslavement, Satyricon and Emperor had brief stints
with the band and it wasn’t until 1998 during the recording of
their first Nuclear Blast album Destroyer that Gaahl joined the
fold. A year later after more changes in the line up brought bassist
King Ov Hell and guitarist Tormentor into the fold, this would be
the definite Gorgoroth line up. But in 2007, Infernus announced
that the band was splitting with him on one side and Gaahl and
King on the other. Both sides claimed rights to the name.
On February 1st, 2004, Gorgoroth played
Kraków,
Poland. Adorning the stage were sheep
heads on stakes, satanic symbols, a barbed wire fence and two
naked crucified models. To top it off, 80 liters of sheep’s
blood were poured conveniently. In a catholic country like
Poland it was no surprise that the show would arise much
controversy. The band’s antics sparked a police investigation
and all the fuss led to the band being dropped from the Nuclear Blast Tour. The nice folks at Metal Mind now
bring that show to us via this DVD release. Does it live up to
the hype? Yeah, if you are a fan of the band there is no way
you’ll feel disappointment. If you are not, then all the
decoration in the world, no matter how gruesome and offensive,
won’t make you change your mind. For someone like me, who enjoys
their music but does not place Gorgoroth all that high in the BM
ranks, Black Mass Krakow barely cuts it. The music is there, played with
fluidity and ease. Gaahl is up front spewing hatred with a
caricature-esque voice and his wicked upside down cross made out
of sticks. I just don’t feel the energy, I wonder why so many
black metal bands deliver their music with such contained furor.
Unfortunately, despite all the fanfare Gorgoroth is not the
exception.
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