Gorgoroth - 'Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt'

Infernus steers Gorgoroth back to their mid '90s roots.

The final edition of Survivor: Black Metal has concluded. The sole survivor? Longtime Gorgoroth gunslinger Infernus, who triumphed over former bandmates Gaahl and King. The vocalist and bassist formed their own tribe and sought to claim the island from the founding member of the black metal band. Challenges included lawsuits, insults, and claims that certain band members hadn’t contributed creatively in years. Once expelled, Gaahl and King briefly fronted a new tribe called God Seed which quickly disbanded. Infernus stayed on the island – let’s just call it Norway – phoned a few old friends and acquaintances and returned to the studio.

The result is Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt, a title that would give your high school Latin teacher fits. For clarity’s sake we’ll just call it the new Gorgoroth. It’s a marked departure from the recent Gaahl/King albums. A more apt comparison would be Pentagram and Under The Sign of Hell. Like those albums, it’s short (just over thirty minutes), gritty and features Pest on vocals.

And while it’s not as good as these albums, a few songs hint at the power of early Gorgoroth, in particular “Building a Man,” and ”Satan Prometheus.” The best track is “Cleansing Fire,” which has a feel similar to “Funeral Procession” from Under The Sign Of Hell. There are also a few misfires like “New Breed.”

The song “Rebirth” is obviously about the struggle to reclaim the Gorgoroth name and change the band’s direction. The bulk of the album is, no surprise, about Satan – pretty much Gorgoroth’s sole lyrical inspiration. Pest is a welcome addition throughout. His vocals have more of a classic black metal feel than Gaahl, who opted for a more dramatic touch.

This is not the best album in Gorgoroth's catalog, and the Gaahl/King era-albums deserve their righteous place with the early classics. However, Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt is ample proof that Infernus still can summon some hellfire for listeners.