Gorgoroth - Instinctus Bestialis

Published 'June 05 2015

*=Staff's pick	Radix Malorum Dionysian Rite* Ad Omnipotens Aeterne Diabolus* Come Night Burn In His Light Rage Kala Brahman Awakening*

Genre	Black Metal	Atterigner	Vocals
Tracks	8	Infernus	Guitar
Running time	31 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	Soulseller Records	Boddel	Bass
Release	June 08, 2015	Tomas Asklund	Drums
Country	Norway	-	Keyboard
Producer	Tomas Asklund
Similar artists	Mayhem, 1349, Grand Belial's Key

Gorgoroth, the band that some years ago resembled a veritable soap opera when different fractions fought for the right to the name is back with their 9th studio album (not counting the re-recording of 'Under the Sign of Hell') 'Instinctus Bestialis'. Led by the winner from said legal bonanza, guitarist Infernus, the band that I have come to associate with ferocious up-tempo, yet melodic, black metal has taken a rather different approach on this one.

Gone are any traces of lo-fi production and gone is most the typical distorted black metal guitar sound. Instead, we get fed with a rather polished production with a neat clean mid-tempo oriented sound especially from the guitars. New vocalist Atterigner also delivers a rather different sound than his predecessors in the band. Slightly growling, yet rather clean and pronounced, the best reference that comes to mind is Grimnir Votansfolk on Grand Belial's Key's 'Kosherat' album. In fact, the entire sound on 'Instinctus Bestialis' bears that clean and stripped down mark of the American's brilliant swansong.

Clean production usually means accessibility, but on 'Instinctus Bestialis' the sound more confuses at first than invites the listener. Once penetrating that barrier there are unfortunate few songs that actually meets the standard of the bands previous peaks. Some riffs and vocals lines are quite excellent but even more feels like run of the mill black metal. Not bad per se, but we should expect more from these veterans. They could write an album on pure routine and that might very well be the case, since I miss a hunger, a dedication or something.

The initiated who have the time will find few worthwhile pieces on 'Instinctus Bestialis' once penetrating the production and die-hard fans might very well find something more than I have managed to. The occasional listener, however, ought to explore Gorgoroth's back catalogue first.

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
7	6	3	6	6

Summary
6 chalices of 10 - Tengan