Reviews list for Gothminister - Pandemonium (2022)

Norwegian industrial metallers Gothminister's seventh studio album is a fairly solid piece of industrial metal. The groove work is fairly solid from top to bottom and the vocal melodies compliment admirably. One of the reasons why I have never been able to appreciate Rammstein fully is because of the language barrier (my German is getting better though). Rammstein have solid melodies and tight knit grooves as well, but something about taking the intricacies of that language and creating a butchered English version does not help matters. Gothminister help by recording all the lyrics in English already....not that you need them because this is still standard in its gothic themes.

Speaking of gothic themes, does anyone else notice how much parts of this record sound like heavier Ghost? Forget about the industrial tinges and all of the synth leads, "Norge", "Mastodon" and "Star" sound identical. Which brings up my biggest issue with Pandemonium as a whole; the record is far too basic. It might borrow from Ghost, or EBM, or even other industrial metal giants like Rammstein, but not a lot about it feels innovative or unique to Gothminister. While I did enjoy it, too often I found the music falling behind and closer to background noise than anything I want to become invested in. 

Best Songs: Pandemonium, Sinister, Bloodride, Run Faster

From the capital city of Norway, Oslo, here's gothic industrial metal masters Gothminister! This project founded by Bjørn Alexander Brem became a full band when a fanbase started growing, a fanbase strengthened by their live shows and music. The band has recently made their comeback in rising pandemonium.

The band made a steady career with 6 albums spanning from 2003 to 2017. Then all was silent for 5 years, with no material released during then. It was a long wait...until over 3 months before this review, on October 21, the new album Pandemonium arrived, and the anticipation was totally worth it! With an intro and 10 songs at a span of 40 minutes, their lyrics of darkness and death can make your ears bleed in a pleasant and painless way.

Beginning this masterpiece is the sweet 35-second intro "Abgrund (Abyss)" that welcomes you to the dark industrial hellfire. The well-arranged and thriving title track is filled with epic industrial metal greatness! I'm glad that got me into the band alongside one of the songs from the previous album The Other Side. "Demons" has poppy synths, along with a catchy chorus that you can't resist. "Star" will get you hooked. The melody is an addictive throwback to the band's 2000s era that was more focused on electronics while still having a lot of metal.

Things start to build up slowly in "Sinister". Seducing you smoothly is "Kingdoms Rise". Then we have the sensational "Bloodride" that can make as thirsty for blood as a vampire. The heavier "Norge" is a doomy march of gloom that, in some ways, has possible potential to be the Norwegian anthem. Note that the title is Norwegian for their homeland of Norway, hence the potential.

Rapidly firing away, "Run Faster" has purely fast metal. "This is Your Darkness" empowers you as greatly as a certain game show. Then ending in a bang is the progressive "Mastodon", though not as progressive as the band Mastodon.

In conclusion, Pandemonium can surely unite the gothic-ish industrial metal fanbase with their catchy sound. Music listeners outside of metal may point out the band's aesthetic of evil darkness, but what they don't find when they don't try is the hopeful light in their compositions. It's just so incredible this compelling music they make. Worth the 5-year wait, the Norwegian dark industrial metal masters strike again!

Favorites: "Pandemonium", "Star", "Bloodride", "Norge", "This is Your Darkness", "Mastodon"