BIOGRAPHY, DISCOGRAPHY, ON THE POLEMICS INVOLVING INFERNUS, GAAHL AND KING OV HELL… CURRENT GORGOROTH…
Gorgoroth was founded in Bergen, Norway in 1992 by Infernus (guitars);
Between 1993 and 1998, the band released a demo – A Sorcery Written in Blood (1993), three studio albums – Pentagram (1994), Antichrist (1996) and Under the Sign of Hell (1997), and an EP – The Last Tormentor (1996). Infernus wrote much of the material on Pentagram and all of Antichrist and Under the Sign of Hell, as well as playing the bass lines on the latter two albums.
At a time of many changes in the band, extensive live performance and two European tours, they signed a contract with the important German heavy metal label, ‘Nuclear Blast Records’.
Vocalist Gaahl joined Gorgoroth in 1998 and was heard on the title track of Destroyer (1998). Bassist King ov Hell joined the band in 1999 and made his studio debut on Incipit Satan (2000), which was also the first Gorgoroth album to feature Gaahl as lead vocalist. Between 2002 and 2004, King composed the Gorgoroth songs that would make up most of the tracks on Twilight of the Idols (2003) and all of the tracks on Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (2006), Gorgoroth’s only releases between 2000 and 2007. Gaahl wrote lyrics for two songs on Incipit Satan, most of the tracks on Twilight of the Idols and all of the tracks on Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam. In the summer of 2007, three songs written by King and five songs with lyrics written by Gaahl were played in live performances.
Although Infernus contributed little to the material for Twilight of the Idols and none to Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam, he gave the albums their title, based on his Satanism and his influences from Friedrich Nietzsche. He continued to participate in the production and mastering of Gorgoroth’s albums. His songs also continued to make up the majority of the material performed live. He allegedly began working on new material for a new album in October 2006 and was first reported writing in March 2007, the title of which was revealed to be Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt in October 2007. In addition, Infernus continued to promote the band and its releases in interviews and through other means, as well as King through interviews and seminars in the United States. The prominence of Infernus and King was further enhanced by their status as the band’s official contacts, as well as by the covers of albums such as Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam – Infernus, in particular, was emphasized as “Satan’s Minister on Earth” and was largely responsible for the negotiations with Regain Records.
More controversy surrounded the band in this period, resulting from a controversial gig in Krakow, Poland, in 2004, after which relations with Nuclear Blast were terminated, Gaahl and Infernus were sentenced to prison terms for excessive violence. Partly due to some of these events, Twilight of the Idols and Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam were Gorgoroth’s only releases in this period. The band’s first release was in 2004, when the band’s first release was in 2004.
Infernus is the only original member of Gorgoroth today.
Currently lineup:
- In drums is Tomas Asklund since 2008 – see also in: Dissection, Dark Funeral, Infernal, Maiden Disciples, Dawn;
- In vocals is Atterigner since 2012 – see also in: Nadsvest, Propast (live), Triumfall, Terrörhammer, Veles;
It´s a TRUE NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL from 90’s.
Currently, they are in ‘Soulseller Records’.
The lyrical themes are Satanism, Anti-Christianity, Darkness, Death, Nietzscheanism, War.
Taken from the Complete Tolkien Companion by J.E.A. Tyler:
“Gorgoroth ‘Dreadful Horror’ (The Sindarin or Grey-elven tongue) – A word in the Grey-elven tongue, used for two different locations, distinct in time and space…. the second instance is the name of the ‘Haunted Plains’ of Mordor; the great plateau which occupied the north-western area of that country, a desolate, arid land, pocked with craters and fuming pits and riven with many deep crevasses. In the center of the plain rose the smoldering cone of the volcano Orodruin.”
The band has never officially published their lyrics, neither through album booklets nor other sources, online or otherwise; several online lyric sites have republished a cease-and-desist letter from their publisher in place of song lyrics.
As live musicisans:
- Phobos is drum player since 2011;
- Guh.lu is bass player since 2012;
- Hoest (Taake frontman) is in vocals since 2012;
- Aindiachaí is guitar player since 2017.
Publicly, Gaahl and King cited various reasons behind their decision to exclude founding member Infernus and work under the name Gorgoroth. The most frequently repeated allegations throughout the dispute were accusations that Infernus had no interest in promoting Gorgoroth or participating creatively, and that he was abusive and disrespectful to promoters, session members and other working partners, while Gaahl and King had “creatively defined” Gorgoroth over a period of eight years. Other claims included Gaahl’s apparent objection to Infernus’ support of the late Euronymous’s Never Stop the Madness campaign through his now defunct label, Deathlike Silence Productions, while King felt averse to being with Infernus amid the guitarist’s rape allegations and subsequent conviction.
Their decision was made in the summer of 2007, and it was in September that King, with the assistance of Anders Odden from Cadaver and Satyricon, filed a trademark application with the Norwegian Industrial Property Office for Gorgoroth’s name and logo. The name and logo of Gorgoroth were also trademarked.
Infernus reply who stated that he would not defend himself against any accusations raised during the dispute and did not directly counter Gaahl and King’s allegations outside of formal settings, stated that he could be “difficult to work with” and claimed that Gaahl and King should have decided to adopt a new name. The work on Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt was reported several times in the media.
Meanwhile, Infernus’ work on Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt has been reported several times in the media.
Frequent misunderstandings perpetuated throughout the dispute by various media outlets, such as Terrorizer magazine, were that the Patentstyret’s acceptance of King’s trademark application between December 2007 and January 2008 was a court decision, and that at least one lawsuit had taken place before the one Infernus filed in September 2008, which reached the Oslo District Court in January 2009.
Past Members:
- Gaahl was vocals in 1998 to 2007;
- King ov Hell was guitar player in 1999 to 2007;
- Frost (1349 and Satyricon) was drums player in 1994 to 1995;
- Samoth (Emperor and ex-Satyricon) was bass player in 1993 to 1994;
- Ares (ex- Immortal) was bass player in 1995 – 1997;
- Grim (ex- Immoertal (live)) was drums player in 1995 – 1996 – (R.I.P. 1999);
- Pest was in vocals in 1995-1997, 2008-2012) and was guitar player in 1996;
- R.I.P. Frank Watkins was bass player in 2008 to 2015 when he died (2015) – he began using the stage name “Bøddel” in 2009. Bøddel is Norwegian for “Executioner,” which was the band Obituary’s original moniker.
-Other members who were in Gorgoroth in the year of was founded:
- Goatpervertor was drums player (1992-1994);
See also: ex-Trelldom - Hat was in vocals (1992-1995);
Past (live) Lineup:
- Frost was drums player in 2001;
- Apollyon (Aura Noir, Coffin Storm and ex-Immortal) was guitars player in 2003 to 2004;
- Teloch (Legions, Mayhem and ex- Gorgoroth (live)) was guitars player in 2004-2005 and 2007;
- Eihwaz (ex-Taake) was guitars player in 2005-2007;
- Garghuf was drum player in 2007;
- V’gandr (Hellheim and Taake (live)) was bass player in 2010;
- Paimon was guitar player;
Crimes & Violence:
Various members of the band were involved in different crimes. Kjettar was convicted of church arson in the early ’90s. In 2004, Gaahl went to court on charges of “performing torture lasting for several hours” on a 41-year-old man who claimed to have been assaulted, kidnapped, and beaten by him following a bar brawl; Gaahl stated that he acted in self-defense after the victim “crossed the line” and attacked him. In the aftermath of the highly mediatized case, he was sentenced to four months in jail and had to pay a $30,000 fine to the victim.
On January 4th, 2006, Infernus was taken to court on charges of kidnapping, participation in gang rape, and illegal weapon possession. With exception of admitting some minor violations of Norwegian firearm regulations, he has declared himself not guilty. In May 2005, Infernus and a friend were sentenced to three years in prison for rape. Both of them appealed the verdict. Infernus won the appeal and was found not guilty in the rape case. He was however convicted of “gross negligent rape” (i.e. he should have known that the woman had been raped by his friend before he himself had sex with the woman – who had at this point surrendered mentally).
- Infernus leaves Gorgoroth in 2007
In October 2007, Infernus announced on the band’s official Myspace page that “a decision to split” had been made, with him on one side and Gaahl and King on the other. The statement explained that the members were no longer able to continue working together and further noted that both sides intended to continue under the band name.
A statement from Gaahl and King was also issued on the same day. Gaahl issued another statement two days later, stating that the band had not split up, but had “continued in a different form”. The statement further claimed that Infernus had not been a creative force over eight years and had “shown no interest in the art [of] defining Gorgoroth over the same period of time.” Infernus responded the next day with a statement noting that he claimed the legal right to the band’s name as “the founder and sole original member of the band.” The band’s name was “Gorgoroth”.
Gaahl and King announced that Hellhammer, from Mayhem and Dimmu Borgir, would join them on drums from 2008, but this didn’t materialize for unknown reasons. Teloch, from Nidingir (who had also previously been a live session member for Gorgoroth) and Nicholas Barker (formerly of Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir) were also revealed as members of their touring line-up. The band’s first touring line-up was to be a live one.
Another statement (intended to be the ‘latest in a series of short open letters to the media’) from Infernus arrived a week later, claiming that Gaahl had “considered leaving the band several times” while King had left the band the previous year “due to difficulties in reconciling playing in a metal band like Gorgoroth with the fact that he is a full-time teacher at an elementary school.” Infernus further noted that, as a founding member of the band, he “would not agree to cede the name [he] rightfully owns to the third vocalist and sixth or seventh bassist, for whatever reason they may have”. In addition, he said that he was in the process of finalizing and preparing the material that he allegedly began in October 2006 and was first reported writing when he was released on parole in March 2007, stating the title as Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt. He also said that he was in the process of finalizing and preparing the material that he allegedly began in October 2006 and was first reported writing when he was released on parole in March 2007, stating the title as Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt.
Legal dispute over name (Gorgoroth):
During October 2007, Gorgoroth members Gaahl and King ov Hell decided to kick founding member Infernus out of the band. A legal battle over the rights of the name and logo between Infernus and Gaahl / King then ensued. Gaahl and King carried on touring without Infernus for around 18 months after copyrighting the band’s name and logo (before ‘firing’ him), while Infernus put together a new line-up.
- Witnesses in the Infernus vs. Gaahl/King ov Hell trial:
From the Infernus side:
- Infernus;
- Tormentor;
- Per Gyllenbäck – founder from Regain Records;
- Torgrim Øyre – ex-Gorgoroth bass player and bass player from T-Reaper and the festival’s organizer, ‘Hole in the Sky’;
- Gro Narvestad – the Inferno Festival organizer;
- Asbjørn Slettemark – Norwegian Music Journalist;
From the Gaahl/King ov Hell side:
- Gaahl;
- King ov Hell;
- Anders Odden – member from Cadaver,tour manager and live member of Satyricon, and head of the office at GramArt, who helped King with his trademark application;
- Espen Solheim Røhne – founder of Indie Recordings, Regain Records’ distribution channel in Norway, which apparently signed Gaahl and King;
- Henk Mol – promoter of the Dutch touring agency Vain Productions.
The court states that King ov Hell and Gaahl excluded themselves from the band Gorgoroth when they tried to fire Infernus in October 2007. The court further states that Infernus cannot be excluded from Gorgoroth unless he himself decides to quit. The remaining issues concerning financial matters and such are yet to be decided upon.
Oslo City District Court delivered a verdict on March 10th, 2009 on the main question in the Gorgoroth trademark case, which took place at the end of January 2009, deciding that King ov Hell’s trademark registration #243365 of the band name was not valid and shall therefore be deleted.
In December, Regain Records issued a press release announcing its decision to “continue cooperation with the band’s original member, Infernus, with a new line-up” and that the label recognized “Infernus as the rightful owner of the band’s name, logo and trademark” as well as its preparedness “to take all necessary legal steps to prevent any third party from exploiting it, artistically and commercially”. A week later, Gaahl and King delivered a statement saying that it had been “legally determined” by the Norwegian patent office that they retained “rightful ownership and use of the name and logo, now and in the future”. After the first department of the Patent Office accepted King’s trademark application for Gorgoroth, King and Gaahl withdrew their trademark application for “The Force Gorgoroth.” The statement also stated that Gaahl and King had severed ties with Regain Records for “their disloyal actions” and were “carefully choosing a new label for the release of their next full-length album.” Infernus declare.
The name was already considered to have been trademarked before Gaahl and King joined the band in 1998 and 1999, respectively. According to Infernus’ lawyer Erik Rødsand, Gaahl and King are prohibited from choosing band names that are “confusingly similar” to Gorgoroth. This would also include their previously registered name, “The Force Gorgoroth.” The domain gorgoroth.org, which was under their control, was redirected to the official website at http://www.gorgoroth.info until the contract eventually expired in 2010. Gaahl and King took on the name God Seed after the sentence, although the line-up was to disband in July 2009, after having performed at two festivals, following Gaahl’s decision to leave and retire from metal music. The band’s name was also banned.
In early April 2009, Infernus revealed to the public that Gaahl and King had opened a small business called “Gorgoroth DA”, apparently intended to be related to the band name Gorgoroth, and that the business should be ordered to close. On June 2, 2009, an article in the Norwegian financial newspaper Dagens Næringsliv revealed that the remaining issues in Infernus’ lawsuit had been agreed by the two parties and that a settlement had been made. The details of the settlement are confidential, but Infernus commented that it was satisfied with the outcome. In the same article, King and Gaahl’s lawyer, Lars Christian Fjeldstad, confirmed that the judgment regarding the trademark registration was final – i.e. it could not be challenged – and that a settlement had been reached regarding the remaining issues in the court case.
COMPLETE DISCOGRAPHY:
| Name | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| A Sorcery Written in Blood | Demo | 1993 |
| Promo ’94 | Demo | 1994 |
| Pentagram | Full-length | 1994 |
| Antichrist | Full-length | 1996 |
| The Last Tormentor | Live album | 1996 |
| Novum Vox Mortis – Malicious Records Compilation Album | Split | 1997 |
| Under the Sign of Hell | Full-length | 1997 |
| Destroyer, or About How to Philosophize with the Hammer | Full-length | 1998 |
| Incipit Satan | Full-length | 2000 |
| Destroyer, or About How to Philosophize with the Hammer / Incipit Satan | Compilation | 2001 |
| Twilight of the Idols – In Conspiracy with Satan / Incipit Satan | Compilation | 2003 |
| Twilight of the Idols – In Conspiracy with Satan | Full-length | 2003 |
| Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam | Full-length | 2006 |
| Black Mass Krakow 2004 | Video | 2008 |
| True Norwegian Black Metal – Live in Grieghallen | Live album | 2008 |
| Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt | Full-length | 2009 |
| Under the Sign of Hell 2011 | Full-length | 2011 |
| Instinctus Bestialis | Full-length | 2015 |
Compilation appearances:
– “Sexual Blood Gargling” on Unholy Blood vol.1 Tape (1994)
– “Crushing the Scepter” on Blackend: The Black Metal Compilation Volume 1 2CD (Death Records, 1995)
– “Krig” on The Final Days of Frost (Malicious Records & Last Epitaph Productions, 1997)
– “Revelation of Doom” on Feuersturm (Century Media Records, 1997)
– “Krig” on Mystic Art Vol. 3 (Mystic Production, 1997).
– “Slottet I Det Fjerne” on Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone tribute (Moonfog Productions, 1998)
– “Destroyer” on Nuclear Blast Soundcheck – Series – Volume 14 (Nuclear Blast, 1998)
– “Destroyer” on Deftone 4/98 (Deftone Magazine, 1998)
– “The Devil, the Sinner and His Journey” on Extremum Sampler 2/98 (Rock Extremum Records, 1998)
– “Destroyer” on News From Nuclear Blast Volume 2 ({label 2, 1998)
– “Destroyer” on Feuersturm Volume II: The Ultimate Storm (Century Media Records, 1998)
– “Revelation of Doom (Live)” on Death … Is Just The Beginning V VHS (Nuclear Blast, 1999)
– “Revelation of Doom” on Live In Wacken VHS (Nuclear Blast, 1999)
– “Destroyer” on Death … Is Just The Beginning V (Nuclear Blast, 1999)
– “Incipit Satan” on Death …Is Just the Beginning Vol. VI (Nuclear Blast, 2000)
– “Incipit Satan” on Off Road Tracks Vol. 28 (Metal Hammer, 2000)
– “Incipit Satan” on Nuclear Blast America Presents: Blasting Through 2000
– “Incipit Satan” on Death …Is Just the Beginning Vol. VI Part 2 (Nuclear Blast & VMP Metal Division, 2001)
– “Life Eternal” on A Tribute to Mayhem: Originators of the Northern Darkness (Avantgarde Music, 2001)
– “Open the Gates” on Death Is Just The Beginning Vol. 7 (Nuclear Blast, 2002)
– “Procreating Satan” on Off Road Tracks Vol. 70 (Metal Hammer, 2003)
– “Procreating Satan” on Metal For The Masses Volume II mp3 CD-Rom (Century Media Records, 2003)
– “Om kristen og jødisk tru” on Caveman Skull 1&2 10.04 (Aurora Borealis Records, 2004)
– “Wound Upon Wound” on Fear Candy 29 (Terrorizer Magazine, 2006)
– “Carving a Giant” on Maximum Metal Vol. 105 (Metal Hammer, 2006)
– “Carving a Giant” on Zero Tolerance [ZTAUDIO009] (Zero Tolerance Magazine, 2006)
– “Wound Upon Wound” on Let The Hammer Fall Vol. 49 (Metal & Hard Rock Hammer World, 2006)
– “Destroyer” on W:O:A Full Metal Juke Box (Vol. 3) (Golden Core Records, 2007)
– “Interview” on Rock Guerilla.tv Vol. 8 DVD (Rock Hard, 2007)
– “Profetens Åpenbaring” on Party.San Metal Open Air 2007 DVD (War Anthem Records, 2007)
– “Carving a Giant” on W:O:A Full Metal Juke Box (Vol. 4 – Preview 2008) (Golden Core Records, 2008)
– “Possessed (by Satan)” on Metallian DVD Sampler N° 2 DVD (Metallian Editions, 2008)
– “Carving a Giant” on Thomas Cowgill – Denim & Leather Mixtape digital (Actual Pain, 2008)
– “Prayer” on Fear Candy 74 (Terrorizer Magazine, 2009)
– “Prayer” on Dynamit Vol. 68 (Rock Hard, 2009)
– “Prayer” on Le Sampler RockHard #92 (Rock Hard, 2009)
– “Prayer” on Let The Hammer Fall Vol. 80. (Metal & Hard Rock Hammer World, 2009)
– “Procreating Satan (Zardonic Remix) [2012 RevAMP]” on Zardonic– Metal Up Your Bass (revAMPED edition) digital (2011)
– “Untitled” on Chelsea Wolfe and White Horse – Scorpio Musikk (Actual Pain, 2011)
– “Destroyer” on Wacken Open Air – Full Metal Collection (Golden Core Records, 2013)
– “Wound Upon Wound” on Colombian Shows (Sylphorium Records, 2014)
– “Added Omnipotens Aeterne Diabolus” on Zero Tolerance Audio 66 (Zero Tolerance Magazine, 2015)
– “Revelation of Doom” on A Sangre Y Fuego [ASYF034vcd] (GOI Music, unknown year)
– “Blood Stains the Circle” on להרוג גם ירושלמים (Ze Behavana Records)
– “Gorgoroth” on Mystic Production Vol. 1 (Mystic Production)
– “(Under) The Pagan Megalith” on Necro Hate Sound Tape
– “Destroyer” on Death … Is Just The Beginning V Part 1 Tape (Music Trax)
While many musicians have come and gone, Infernus has always stayed in the band, though the last two albums before the split were almost entirely composed by King. King has said that he “never really left” Gorgoroth despite his brief official absence between 2006 and 2007, which according to Infernus happened due to King’s “difficulties combining playing in a clear-cut Satanic metal band as Gorgoroth with the fact that he is full-time employed as a primary school teacher.”
The band participated in the Darkthrone tribute, ‘Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone‘, released by Moonfog Productions in 1998, covering the song “Slottet I Det Fjerne”. Later, in 2001, Gorgoroth also participated in the Mayhem tribute Originators of the Northern Darkness, released by Avantgarde Music, covering the song “Life Eternal”.
The online broadcast network VBS.tv made a documentary about Norwegian black metal, but they focused primarily on Gorgoroth and Gaahl.
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