The Ultimate Review of Cirith Gorgor

...this does not keep going and going. Cirith Gorgor is a strange album for me. When I first heard it, I really loved it. The sheer aggression gripped me and I found my adrenaline rising. It truly seemed to be a call to war. However, with each listen, the charm has dissipated. This is exactly the opposite of Cirith Gorgor’s debut album, which I like even more. Perhaps as I spend more and more time absorbing the masterful, early works of Emperor, Immortal, and Gorgoroth; Gorgor just seems less consequential.

But let’s begin with some of the good. The guitar riffs here are above average. I like how they manage to bury some really catchy and well-crafted melodies into the otherwise dissident and chaotic tremolo. Prime examples include “Demonic Incarnation” (probably my favorite song on the album), and the particularly epic-sounding “Warcry of the Southern Lands.” There is not much variety in the overall guitar approach, but the tremolo formula they have here works fairly well and manages to still distinguish each song from the last.

The drums fit the mix nicely and are played well. There is a little more variety to be found here. D-beats, blastbeats, fills, mid-tempo, and double-bass. Again, I think “Warcry of the Southern Lands” showcases these the best. This guy knows his way around the kit and is good at seamlessly changing tempo and beat. The vocals are nothing too impressive, but work rather well throughout. They are somewhat similar to Ihsahn’s early work with Emperor, both in the sound and way they are melted into the mix. Delivery is pretty strong, but don’t expect much variety.

As you can see, a lot of things work for this album, but it just doesn’t come together and provide the staying power I am always looking for in albums I add to my collection. For one, the songs linger around too long. This is a consistent problem on even the best songs here. I am perfectly fine with sitting through an Opeth tune for 15 minutes or a 10 minute Burzum drone. Those songs work because they have pretty strong dynamics and varied orchestration. On this album there is some of that, but not enough to warrant each track hovering around the 7-8 minute mark. I think they would have a bit more impact if they ended even just 2 minutes earlier.

The other major problem is that of redundancy. As I mentioned before, compared to their peers, Cirith Gorgor aren’t really bringing anything new to the table. They play well, but no better and without the gift of influence. Riffs are very similar to the cold, thrashy licks of Immortal, drumming is reminiscent of Gorgoroth, and the overall production and presentation sound like Emperor. For a new BM listener, this may be a good starting point, and they will likely be impressed with what they hear. But I am willing to bet that as time wears on and they delve deeper into the genre, this album will collect more and more dust.

Overall, this is a good album, but I’d recommend any of the other bands I mentioned in a heartbeat over this one. If I were to turn someone onto Cirith Gorgor, I would recommend their debut instead. As always, I encourage you to give this a listen and make up your mind for yourself.
Final Score: 38 / 100