Gorgoroth – “Instinctus Bestialis” [Album Review]

It seems that, even now, controversy isn’t too far away from the Norwegian black metal scene and there are none more controversial than Gorgoroth who, over the years, have regularly been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Well, throughout the controversy that has surrounded this band, the Norwegian hate merchants have produced some of the leading albums to have spewed out of the black metal scene and are back with a new deal and their tenth album, the first fruits of this new deal.

Well, it’s been almost six years since the release of Gorgoroth’s last album so it’s refreshing to see they haven’t lost any of the vicious, groove-laden edge. Even the introduction of a new vocalist in the form of Atterigner (formerly of Serbian band Triumfall) hasn’t knocked the Norwegian black metal outfit off their stride. Instinctus Bestialis is unbridled black metal aggression from start to finish with a sound that will be familiar to fans of the long-standing extreme metal band.

Built around the buzzsaw riffs of Infernus, tracks like “Ad Omnipotens Aeterne Diabolus” and “Burn His Light” have a dramatic, almost epic feel to them whereas “Rage” is just four minutes of thundering black-hearted fury. There is no need for big, dramatic symphonics here as Infernus and the rest of the Gorgoroth line-up take you back to the black metal sound of the ’90s with blasts of harsh black metal punctuated with the kind of grooves you headbangers can really work your neck muscles to.

While it would be incorrect to claim that Instinctus Bestialis will be held as a future classic within either the black metal genre or Gorgoroths’ own immense back catalogue, especially after a six year wait, it’s hard to deny that Infernus and his henchmen have marked their return in solid, raging style.

Track Listing:

01. Radix Malorum
02. Dionysian Rite
03. Ad Omnipotens Aeterne Diabolus
04. Come Night
05. Burn in His Light
06. Rage
07. Kala Brahman
08. Awakening

Run Time: 31:19
Release Date: June 12, 2015

Check out the album ‘Instinctus Bestialis’ here.