Reviews list for Gorgoroth - Antichrist (1996)

A good follow-up to Pentagram with some nice epic melodies. It's a shame it's so damn short!

After finding a lot to like about Gorgoroth's debut album Pentagram, I very much looked forward to checking out what they would come up with next. Things didn't appear too promising on paper due to some major line-up changes taking place. Vocalist Hat and drummer Goat Perverter had decided to quit the band and then Samoth decided he would also leave to focus on Emperor. This would have left Infernus as the only remaining member of the line-up that created Pentagram, but he was able to convince Hat to at least perform vocals on Antichrist. Thankfully, Infernus was also able to recruit some excellent talent with drumming legend Frost (Satyricon, 1349, Keep of Kalessin) hopping in behind the kit and Pest (Obtained Enslavement) joining in preparation to take over vocals full time and to add a second guitarist to the mix.

With all these changes, it's not surprising to find an album that sounds a fair bit different from the debut. It's still undoubtedly black metal, but there are a few other little influences coming in. There's a slight Viking feel with some of the melodies and this can also be felt in Frost's drumming. The riffs have that epic quality that bands such as early Borknagar produced and it really adds something special to the Gorgoroth sound. There's quite a bit of melody contained in these tracks, particularly on the stunning Gorgoroth, which is one of the standout moments of the bands career. Frost's drumming performance is tight and commanding as usual, but it's nothing particularly amazing, unlike his later performances for the numerous bands he has taken part in.

What's most surprising though is the vocals. Hat's performance on Pentagram was, it has to be said, just a little bit amusing. His screams were extremely high pitched, but they were also rather effective and somehow worked perfectly despite the novelty value they gave to unsuspecting listeners. His screams here are much more typical, losing the high pitch and going for a more raspy and venomous approach that's a lot less distracting. Pest also adds vocals on the album, but it has to be said that he doesn't impress as much on this release. His dorky laugh on Heavens Fall is really crap and the only track that he solely takes on vocals is Possessed (by Satan) which is undoubtedly the worst on the album. It's still a fun listen with its aggressive ballsy approach, but it's simplistic, repetitive and lacks the melody that pervades the rest of the material.

Antichrist certainly has some positives and some negatives, but overall, it's an entertaining black metal album that deserves a rating on par with the classic debut it followed. At least, it would...if it were a bit longer. With only 6 tracks (one being an intro and one an instrumental) totalling 25 minutes, there's just not enough material here to rate this any higher than a 4. Bergtrollets Hevn, Gorgoroth and Sorg are brilliant tracks that make me imagine what else this line-up could have created with a bit more effort. I guess Antichrist will just have to be one of those albums I put on when I'm short for time but have an itch for some well performed black metal. Thankfully this happens often!