Hey look; It’s the newest release from Norway’s semi-legendary Black Metal export Gorgoroth. Turn off the lights, put your sunglasses on, and take a long sip of wine, cause we’re in it for SATAN.

Before they became a message board punchline due to vocalist Kristian Eivind "Gaahl" Espedal’s deadpan interview in the documentary "Metal: a Headgiver’s Journey", Gorgoroth were in fact a respected group, maybe even considered "icons" to some of the less discriminating Black Metal enthusiasts out there. Personally, I never bothered with the band before receiving Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam in my mailbox, so I have nothing to go on but a mumbled interview from some nerd’s movie about Metal and some token action figure pose photos.

I’ll say that Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam is a fairly solid release, with some good gloomy riffs and hideous vocals. The fourth and fifth tracks are particularly miserable in that glorious fashion only found in strong Black Metal. The production is what kills the whole thing for me. Much like the most recent Mayhem album, Gorgoroth comes off as a band from Norway trying to imitate a band from France (Glorior Belli, Antaeus, Semargl) rather than retaining the Medieval Tower Fog atmosphere indigenous to most Black Metal from that area. It reminds me of Metallica’s Saint Anger, where Millionaires better suited for bland Old Man Rock tried to sound like Entombed, Kyuss, Meshuggah, and other stuff they have no business listening too, or when Vanilla Ice put out an album that sounded like Korn. Alright, maybe it’s not that bad, but I can’t think of better analogy than that. The album gets much better right after the 4th track, almost as if that’s the point where Gorgoroth realize that Norway isn’t known for Baguets and Sex in the Afternoon. Still, when compared to recent releases from the "Young Lions" of the Genre (Deathspell Omega, Glorior Belli, the upcoming Blut Aus Nord), Gorgoroth yawns rather than roars. I understand they’re "legends", and most people who listen to this music prefer bland familiarity to something truly interesting and intense, and if that’s you’re bag you’ll totally grind your Pewter-Pentagram decorated cod-piece in the greasepainted mugs of Gaahl and co. Those who want something a little more fresh may want to look elsewhere. I know I will.

Oh yeah and Satan.

Written By: Nick Benoitschwitz