Gorgon - Traditio Satanae

One of the most historic black metal bands from France, Gorgon, unleash to the weak masses their 6th opus. "Traditio Satanae" is the follower to the band’s 2019 comeback album "The Veil Of Darkness". The album is released from Osmose Productions, a cornerstone label for France and Europe and one of the most important labels for extreme metal in the world since 1991, which happens to be the birth year for Gorgon, too! The album is out on CD, and limited editions standard black and red vinyl.

'Blood Of Sorcerer' is the album’s opener and it begins with what I call a classic black metal riff. The melody is strong as the sick semitones keep raising the chalice of Satan since the birth of the 2nd wave of black metal (where Gorgon themselves emerged from). Some riffs have the necessary thrash feeling, imagine something like the first Onslaught records meets Bathory (call me Dissection). The melody is extremely good and made me stop the CD and listen to the same song 3 times in the row!! I found a Thou Art Lord “Eosforos” vibe in the darkness that lies in the air and a Necromantia of the “Scarlet Evil Witching Black” and on essence. I love the parts of the song when the drums double their speed before the clear melody strikes again! Absolutely brilliant way to start the album!

'Death Was Here' is a black/thrash invasion. Gorgon’s tormenting riffs are based on a very steady picking. There is a fantastic job done on the drums that keep on storming with a very straight and concrete sound. Vocals sound as if they have just risen from hell. Marching riffs that lead to one string guitar themes are a clever way for Gorgon to deliver their unholy tension in their decent songwriting destroying all that is holy.

'Entrancing Cemetery' opens with a classic heavy metal intro riff that ends up with some clear strikes to evolve to Gorgon’s signature sickening black metal type of riff. The song keeps a slower pace, I'd call it mid-tempo, in a haunting manner. The double bass drums serve as the basis for Gorgon to unleash their relentless heavy metal influenced satanic art and black metal wrath! The hidden melodies have the leading role! The Amon Amarth ending riff of the song will leave you speechless for the band’s progress and make you search back into Gorgon's discography!

'Let Me See Behind' sounds so amazingly beautiful! It starts off with a typical 90's black metal theme that evolves to a death metal oriented epic part. Gorgon have a fantastic songwriting and they make you listen to their music! The next riff of the song (at least to my ears) is a faster Iron Maiden “Killers” riff, which marks the legend of this band!

'Sacrilegious Confessions' has some whirlwind super-fast riffs that are nailing you to the wall. Blasphemies are spelled and the short mid-tempo breaths are what you need to survive from this holocaust!

'My Filth Is Worth Your Purity'. The intro riff of the song owes a lot to Slayer. Then Hellhammer/Celtic Frost take the lead and you really know what to expect: nothing less than mid-tempo sick groovy riffs creating a deathly and creepy atmosphere.

For me the same titled 'Traditio Satanae' has the most memorable melody in the whole album. I love the way the bass supports the whole thing here and the riffs are genius. Gorgon have listened to tons of metal music and this reflects in their songwriting. The sequence of their melodies is fantastic and it has a really great interest making you wonder what comes next. Simply put, 'Traditio Satanae' is one of the best black metal songs for the year so far! A true masterpiece and a deep endoskopisis in what black metal is all about! Certain parts the song brought to my mind memories of the old Brazilian scene, which would need days to even talk about!

'As Dawn Will Be Slow To Come' is a dystopic song, an experimental black metal tune that just exceeds 1 minute. I think fans of Emperor or Dodheimsgard will like it. It serves also as an intro to 'The Long Quest'.

'The Long Quest' delivers majestic and epic black metal. All the ingredients of the North are here. Emperor, Bal Sagoth and all the great Northern Gods known are present in this one! The slow rhythms owe a lot to “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” and Mayhem. For me, the basic riff here is again a faster NWOBHM riff showing the connection between NWOBHM and black metal. The influence of the mighty old heavy metal in black metal has always been a real treasure! One of my stand-out tracks of the album for sure!

'Scorched Earth Operation' sounds like an uglier Rotting Christ “Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers” and “Dead Poem” song. Heavy metal riffs with thrash metal parts and black metal vocals come in a demonic war-dance. A unique song for Gorgon and definitely one of my favorites out of this excellent album!

'At The Beginning There Was Hate' is the closing track of “Traditio Satanae”. The song has a fantastic main riff with a pause that is enough to make you headbang. Other than the song has all the typical Gorgon elements and closes the circle.

After this track by track presentation, a summary would be that Gorgon released an excellent black metal album with “Traditio Satanae”; painful, harmonic, brutal, tempting, devilish and massive as it is, yet “Traditio Satanae” remains atmospheric with a balanced production somewhere between heavy metal and black metal, definitely highlighting the melodies and harmonies. The vocals are aggressive, the guitars have clear sound and the drums are thunderous. Above everything the melodies are perfectly delivered. The minor keys used enhance the black metal dramaturgy and the engines of this well respected French Black Metal horde seem to have turned on for good! The Satanic Tradition is perfectly reserved!

4.5 / 5 STARS


1. Blood Of Sorcerer
2. Death Was Here
3. Entrancing Cemetery
4. Let Me See Behind
5. Sacrilegious Confessions
6. My Filth Is Worth Your Purity
7. Traditio Satanae
8. As Dawn Will Be Slow To Come
9. The Long Quest
10. Scorched Earth Operation
11. At The Beginning There Was Hate