Under the Sign of Hell was the first album I listened to that left me speechless. At the time I first heard it, it was a surreal experience. Up until that point (2002) all I really listened to was the radio or the more “popular” music talked about by friends and classmates. This changed that entirely. I didn’t know such a thing as black metal even existed. Gorgoroth’s Under the Sign of Hell was my foot in the door into the genre and I felt mad that I hadn't find it sooner.
With this being my first black metal album it was hard to find others that matched this album’s brutality. Under the Sign of Hell led me to other great albums from bands all around the world. Yes I have found albums that are darker, louder, and far more ambitious than Under the Sign of Hell but, in my eyes, this record was one of the first to really push the limits and extremities that black metal had back in that era of the genre (early – mid 90’s).
There are times where I go a long spell without giving this album a listen. Suddenly I’ll feel the urge to just pop it on and have a listen. After a while of not listening to the album in it’s entirety it feels like the first time all over again. Hearing the whispers and echoes launch off each song brings back the same chill I felt when I first heard it. In my mind this album takes me to a cold and desolate place; a place of inspiration for the dark and the wicked is definitely found here. Ever want to just spend some time to yourself and get lost in a void of thought? Under the Sign of Hell will take you there.
Gorgoroth’s Under the Sign of Hell is sure to shove hell and all of its diabolical fiends in your face without any mercy or remorse. Track after track there are waves of brutal black metal assault streaming into your ears. The start of the album is loaded with fast tracks and towards the middle there are some slower, colder sounding songs. Before you know it the end of the album arrives with an even faster sound, relentlessly thrusting the black metal gavel through your skull.
The album as a whole plays out almost like a soundtrack to an ongoing war in hell! Speedy instrumentation accompanied by vocals just as fast and ferocious create an album delivering an extremely raw and unique sound to black metal to the time was not often heard of. To this day the album can still hold its ground as one of the rawest and fastest black metal albums to exist.
'Profetens Åpenbaring' makes for the best sample of the album. The track starts off slow and cold… in the distance you hear a guitar humming along. Then you hear the rumbling of the lead guitar kick in and the vocals arrive with an almost viking clean sound. The song speeds up and then you hear Pest’s grotesque screeches and howls return. By the end of the song one can almost envision being in the presence of the legions of hell, ready to ride into the abyss. Another gruelling track, 'Blood Stains the Circle', is sure to conjure up all kinds of twisted emotions in its short two minute and forty four second span. This song packs a punch with speed and a tidal wave of intensity that will not only chill the spine but shatter it as well!
Overall the entire track list shares a very unique cold and distant sound that is sure to sate any black metal fan. With this album Gorgoroth truly helped lead Norwegian black metal in the right direction.
