July 2026 - Feature Release - The North Edition

Another month and it falls once more to me to nominate this month's North feature. A band we haven't yet featured here in the North and which are long overdue are Gorgoroth. Now I don't know if my selection will ruffle a few feathers as this isn't really heralded as a Gorgoroth classic but, fuck that, I love it, even if it is a bit of a mess. Of course I am talking about 1998's "Destroyer: Or About How to Philosophize With the Hammer". The personnel is all over the place, but somehow it all comes together for me, whether in spite of, or because of all the chaos, I don't know. Anyway, give it a listen and make up your own mind then let us know what you think either with a comment below or as a full review.

https://metal.academy/releases/5550

OK, here are my thoughts:

Firstly I've got to say, I don't feel that Gorgoroth ever get quite the credit they deserve, possibly with good reason in later years, but there was a time when they were a thrilling and devastating proposition and worthy of mention amongst any of the second wave. This, their fourth album, is the product of a band in transition, each track utilising a different lineup, four different vocalists being used for example - Gaahl providing vocals on the opener, Pest, the singer on the previous album singing on four of the remaining tracks, mainman Infernus on a couple more and Malignant Eternal's T-Reaper on The Devil, The Sinner and His Journey. Despite the variety in each track's performers, it doesn't result in a disjointed release as you may expect, rather it is an album that absolutely has an overarching theme and mood and that is one of blistering chaos and nerve-shredding antagonism that feels like the band were trying to produce the most evil-sounding record released up to that point. It sounds to me as if it was heavily influenced by Mayhem's EP of the previous year, Wolf's Lair Abyss, which was also a release that heralded a change in direction.

This time around Gorgoroth's songwriting utilises passages of sheer noise, occasional slowing of tempo and savage, soul-shredding shrieks for vocals in the most part. Despite the noise elements and the savagery on display, underneath there are actually some quite melodic riffs, but they are well-disguised among the intended cacophony yet they enable the tracks to remain in the memory rather than just becoming a dissonant blur. I actually think Destroyer is a great album in it's ability to make an undoubtedly intentionally chaotic-sounding album memorable and like the band that spawned it, it is mightily underrated and should be lauded amongst Nineties black metal afficianados.

4.5/5