On April 11, GORGOROTH makes a stop in Oberhausen, Germany. During this tour, just like the tour in South America in 2012, the singer is the legendary Hoest from Taake, not the present singer of Gorgoroth Atterigner. The support bands are THE MODERN AGE OF SLAVERY, AGELESS OBLIVION and nothing less than VITAL REMAINS, historic American brutal/death metal band. The concert takes place in a venue called Helvete, a kind of a large and really cool metal disco. Helvete is a two floor venue, with several bars and a dance floor; the concert hall is located in the cellar and is quite small. Once again, like in Essen, there is no photopit; unusually enough, artists do not have a direct access to the stage and have to go across a part of the concert hall. Really underground!! I arrive from Cologne at about 7:00 pm; the beginning of the concert is scheduled at 7:30 pm. I have the press accreditation, but unfortunately, due to a sudden failure in my camera, I will not be able to make a photoreport as it should be; I’ll manage with the mobile.
The first band to step on the stage is THE MODERN AGE OF SLAVERY, an Italian core/death metal band. Their performance is really good; I really like their synchronized movements on the stage. A negative vote goes to the German audience, who remain cold and do not want to get involved; I have to say that the singer tries to do everything to engage the audience, who, except for a dozen people, refuse to approach the stage. After the concert the Italian band is disappointed by the reticent attitude of the public. Same goes for the next band, English technical/progressive death metal band AGELESS OBLIVION.
The first band to step on the stage is THE MODERN AGE OF SLAVERY, an Italian core/death metal band. Their performance is really good; I really like their synchronized movements on the stage. A negative vote goes to the German audience, who remain cold and do not want to get involved; I have to say that the singer tries to do everything to engage the audience, who, except for a dozen people, refuse to approach the stage. After the concert the Italian band is disappointed by the reticent attitude of the public. Same goes for the next band, English technical/progressive death metal band AGELESS OBLIVION.
| THE MODERN AGE OF SLAVERY  | AGELESS OBLIVION  |
With VITAL REMAINS the history of American brutal death metal steps on the stage: the historic American band offers a very intense and generous performance. With them, the German audience begin to heat up and mosh, incited also by singer Brian Verner. Technically, all the musicians of the band cannot be faulted, but they are good from the scenic point of view too; impressive is the mimicry of bassist Gator Collier. I like the interaction with the audience; often singer Brian Werner jumps off the stage to mosh with his fans.
Different matter instead for GORGOROTH; their show is cold, no contact with the public, not even for a “thank you”. On the other hand this is within the typical black metal style of the Norwegian band, so I do not blame them. Instead, what I blame is the visual aspect; from the visual point of view the performance of GORGOROTH is decidedly rejected for one simple reason: it is impossible to see. The stage is so filled with smoke that one cannot see anything at all; watch the video below to believe. I am in the very first line right in front of Infernus and I can rest my hands on the monitor loudspeaker; from my position I can clearly see only Infernus, while I see Hoest emerge from the fog of the stage only when he moves towards Infernus. I can make the other guitarist out just once, but can never see the bassist or the drummer. At any rate Hoest is a great frontman; he gives a great performance even though his style is very different from when he plays with Taake; I cannot help but notice that he almost always keeps close to Infernus.
The concert begins with the wonderful “Bergtrollets Hevn”. As usual, GORGOROTH goes over their entire history from the beginnings, except the album Ad majorem, composed by Gaahl and King ov Hell; most of the songs are from under the Sign of Hell. Despite my immense respect for Hoest, I have to say that he does not equal Pest on the clean vocals in “Profetens åpenbaring”. I note with some amazement that when Infernus plays the slow riff of “Forces of Satan Storms" his hands are shaking clearly, as if he were a beginner; at least it gives me a strong feeling of uncertainty. I also get a kick from Infernus because of an idiot behind me that bothers him. The concert of GORGOROTH lasts less than fifty minutes, little for the headliner band, considering that VITAL REMAINS played longer.
I do not know why, but I have the feeling of being a little disappointed. Fortunately, I recoup myself with the metal disco of Helvete until five in the morning!
Setlist Gorgoroth:
Bergtrollets hevn (from Antichrist 1996)
Aneuthanasia (from Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt 2009)
Prayer (from Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt 2009)
Katharinas bortgang (from Pentagram 1994)
Revelation of Doom (from Under the Sign of Hell 1997)
Forces of Satan Storms (from Twilight of the Idols - In Conspiracy with Satan 2003)
Ødeleggelse og undergang / Blood Stains the Circle (from Under the Sign of Hell 1997)
Destroyer / Incipit Satan (from Destroyer, or About How to Philosophize with the Hammer 1998 / Incipit Satan 2000)
Krig (from Under the Sign of Hell 1997)
Profetens åpenbaring (from Under the Sign of Hell 1997)
Unchain My Heart (from Incipit Satan 2000)
Personnel:
Infernus – guitars
Hoest – vocals
Fábio Zperandio – guitars
Guh.Lu – bass
Vyl - drums
The concert begins with the wonderful “Bergtrollets Hevn”. As usual, GORGOROTH goes over their entire history from the beginnings, except the album Ad majorem, composed by Gaahl and King ov Hell; most of the songs are from under the Sign of Hell. Despite my immense respect for Hoest, I have to say that he does not equal Pest on the clean vocals in “Profetens åpenbaring”. I note with some amazement that when Infernus plays the slow riff of “Forces of Satan Storms" his hands are shaking clearly, as if he were a beginner; at least it gives me a strong feeling of uncertainty. I also get a kick from Infernus because of an idiot behind me that bothers him. The concert of GORGOROTH lasts less than fifty minutes, little for the headliner band, considering that VITAL REMAINS played longer.
I do not know why, but I have the feeling of being a little disappointed. Fortunately, I recoup myself with the metal disco of Helvete until five in the morning!
Setlist Gorgoroth:
Bergtrollets hevn (from Antichrist 1996)
Aneuthanasia (from Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt 2009)
Prayer (from Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt 2009)
Katharinas bortgang (from Pentagram 1994)
Revelation of Doom (from Under the Sign of Hell 1997)
Forces of Satan Storms (from Twilight of the Idols - In Conspiracy with Satan 2003)
Ødeleggelse og undergang / Blood Stains the Circle (from Under the Sign of Hell 1997)
Destroyer / Incipit Satan (from Destroyer, or About How to Philosophize with the Hammer 1998 / Incipit Satan 2000)
Krig (from Under the Sign of Hell 1997)
Profetens åpenbaring (from Under the Sign of Hell 1997)
Unchain My Heart (from Incipit Satan 2000)
Personnel:
Infernus – guitars
Hoest – vocals
Fábio Zperandio – guitars
Guh.Lu – bass
Vyl - drums
Vital Remains - “Descent into Hell”
Gorgoroth -“Bergtrollets hevn / Aneuthanasia”