Worse than Bad - "Pentagram" Review (1%)
I seem to be at a loss for words when it comes to Gorgoroth's debut album Pentagram. How do you describe an album that lies somewhere between "mediocre" and "absolutely pathetic" ? If you can think of an appropriate adjective go on and tell me, because I really can't seem to define Pentagram without resorting to the usual profanity that accompanies my description of fake black metal albums by posers bands such as Gorgoroth.
The best way I could put it is like this, Pentagram is a steaming pile of musical fail. Anything you hear on this album could easily have been produced by a musically illiterate and mentally disabled teenager. The solos are weak, the riffs are predictable and uninspired, the drumming is extremely sloppy and the vocals... lol. Let's just leave it at that.
Now some of will start whining that "black metal isn't supposed to be technical". It' true.
But also know that however nontechnical, black metal is also supposed to have other redeeming qualities. Namely, atmosphere, emotion and soul. Pentagram has none of that, which forces us to rate it exclusively based on the technicality of the music.
Regardless of whichever criteria we choose to judge Pentagram, there is no hiding from the obvious : this album sucks, and it sucks big.
Worse than Bad
If you were expecting Pentagram to be anything more than the shallow and overrated crap produced by the "satanic church burners", you are in for a kick in the balls.
From the very beginning the album tries to instill a theme of trepidation. Needless to say, it fails miserably.
The mood just isn't there, in large part due to the lack of any musical capabilities from the band members.
It doesn't help that the opening track, Begravelsesnatt, is not only the weakest of the album but also one of the weakest of the entire metal genre. The result is that Pentagram feels like a pretentious pile of musical crap,trying hard to appear "evil" but only managing to evoke a feeling of passive annoyance at the ineptitude of the music.
There is absolutely no atmosphere at all, making you question the very purpose of the album. There seems to be no reason behind it, no message, it's simply "there" to help sell more Gorgoroth merchandise for their newest "satanic black mass" (broadcasted on MTV, of course).
What makes it even worse is that it doesn't even feel like you are listening to black metal. The guitars sound plastic, inorganic and fake, and the drums merely sound like a teenager banging on trash cans in his mother's basement (not to mention the fact that they are more often than not completely off-beat).
The vocals on Pentagram are just laughable. Hat sounds like a prostitute getting raped by gang bangers. Sorry for the explicit language but it's the truth. If you have any better means of comparison, feel free to submit them to me but don't tell me that these are black metal vocals because they most clearly aren't.
Pentagram is also a prime example of generic "sell-out metal". Posers who secretly hate black metal and love commercial garbage, yet who nonetheless want the black metal fan tag, will enjoy this album because it represents everything they ever dreamed of : commercial poser crap masquerading under the black metal label (if the media calls it black metal, then it must be black metal right ?).
For the rest of us, Pentagram remains a disgrace to the entire heavy metal scene.
Black Metal, in particular, is about tension. rawness and atmosphere. None of these elements are present on the album Pentagram, rather the listener is drowned in a sea of lazy songwriting, boring riffs and generic drum patterns that you've heard everywhere else already.
The Gorgoroth album Pentagram tries, and fails, to be the next Vomiting Into the Mouth of Satan.
Pentagram is nothing more than counterfeit black metal made by make-up wearing posers.
Pentagram score: 1/100.
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