Gorgoroth - Pentagram

GORGOROTH - Pentagram (EMBASSY - CD 1994 / AGONIA Records LP 2005)

It's been a while (few years actually), since I have listened to Gorgoroth for the last time, so this week I have a plan to go through some of their early records. And obviously first one to go has to be their insane debut album. When I listen to it today, it feels like going back in time for me. I think that the first time I heard it was somewhere around 1996, when I bought cassette. At that time I was more impressed with their second album actually, but the first one was also among my favourites in the collection. Oh, these were good days. Nowadays that atmosphere in black metal is long gone, but when I listen to "Pentagram' it gives a small memory of what it was all like. And it was better than anything else. 

"Pentagram" is probably the most malicious and possessed album among all Gorgoroth's efforts. Just by listening to these sick, mad screams of Hat, it gives me a feeling of something utterly evil and maniacal. That comes perfectly in hand with very harsh, cold, primitive black metal, which could be a fair companion to "Wrath of the Tyrant" or "Transilvanian Hunger". And when speaking of these particular recordings I don't need to speak of the simplistic nature of this music, its primitiveness, the most basic song structures or the rawness of the sound. If these things disturb you, then you have nothing to look for on "Pentagram". What amazes me personally the most on this album is the atmosphere, which has been created there. If you want to hear music, which would be cold, grim, hateful and malicious, then definitely this is a prime example. What I also like is that along with savage, vicious, aggressive, often fast riffs, there's some room for a bit more melodic parts or slower stuff, which gives more diversity, even a bite catchy or memorable music. On "Pentagram" you’ll find pure, hateful outbursts such as "Begravelsesnatt" (how many riffs are in this song? Two? Haha BUt it’s so so good anyway!) or "Katharinas bortgang", but there are also amazing, sometimes almost epic sounding anthems like "Crushing the Scepter (Regaining a Lost Dominion)" or my favourite piece "Måneskyggens slave", which is absolutely best song from this band ever. Gorgoroth really came with a whole lot of amazing riffs, which makes basically every song on this album a standout (even that killer instrumental piece "Huldrelokk"). I also really, really like the production (yes, it is from Grieghallen Studio), because it is raw, but clean enough to hear all riffs, instrumentation, with bass lines also perfectly. 

Soooo... We all know that Norwegian black metal in the 90's was something extraordinary. I won't even count how many amazing albums were recorded back then there. "Pentagram" is definitely among my favourites, let’s say it’s in the top 15, because it’s just damn impossible to pick just five best records from that era. 

Standout tracks: "Måneskyggens slave", “Ritual”, "Crushing the Scepter (Regaining a Lost Dominion)” 

Verdict: 95/100