GORGOROTH Guitarist Discusses Controversial Polish Gig, Singer GAAHL's Prison Sentence

GORGOROTH founder/guitarist Infernus recently spoke to the Swedish webzine MetalHeart.se about a number of topics, including the controversial concert in Poland that resulted in the group being investigated for offending religious feelings, singer Gaahl's conviction for beating a 41-year-old man and threatening to drink his blood, and the group's upcoming studio album. Several excerpts from the interview follow:

MetalHeart.se: [GORGOROTH singer] Gaahl stands accused of assulting a 41-year-old man, and has been sentenced to 14 months in prison. What has been your, and the rest of the group's reactions to the accusations and sentence so far?

Infernus: "This was not in any way surprising us, that he, a self-proclaimed Satanist with a record of dealing properly with people attacking him, would himself turn out to be victimized in front of a Norwegian court. Normally, taken into consideration that as far as I understand, he was the one being attacked by some moron with a weapon in his own home, one could expect some three months or so imprisonment here due to the damages inflicted on the attacker. But we knew long time ahead that this court case could, of course, not be held in any fair way towards him. Anyone knowing the structures of how the court system here works, letting the co-judges decide the outcome of the question of guilt and proper punishment based more upon how they most sentimentally might feel on contrary to applying strict reason, should agree to that."

MetalHeart.se: What really happended on that night when the crime that Gaahl is accused of is said to have been comitted?

Infernus: "He was attacked in front of almost [ten] witnesses, [all of whom] immediately, as I understood it, left the room. Upon their return some time later both the fellows were bleeding, but just one of them still on his feet. Not more hocus pocus than that."

MetalHeart.se: What will happen to GORGOROTH as a functioning musical act if Gaahl ends up going to prison?

Infernus: "Same old, same old. Hehe. I guess we will write more material and enter studio again awaiting his release. Just like last time. It's not the end of the world anyway, is it?"

MetalHeart.se: In February 2004 GORGOROTH was accused, after a concert in Poland, of having "offended religious feelings" in the country, and also to have broken the Polish law on protection of animals. What was it that did upset the Polish authorities that much?

Infernus: "You really have to adress that question somewhere else. My number one guess is that this is first and foremost a matter of greed and another way those Polish people find to economically exploit the world around them. First they become a member of the EU, now this – hehe..."

MetalHeart.se: Where do you think this court case will lead? Will all of GORGOROTH go to prison?

Infernus: "No, I do not think so. As I said, it is probably just economically motivated. Those mongos most of all want our money. Not to see our asses in a Polish prison. Easy as that."

MetalHeart.se: Is it a coincidence that these accusations came from Poland, or has it maybe its background in the strong position that the Catholic church holds in that country?

Infernus: "Of course, as all people know, even under Jaruzelski the catholic church in poland was very popular. As we know they even have a very strong following there as we speak. Such a massive impact of such a conservative Christian institution of course stretches out into other sociological spheras undermining their law system et cetera, so after the media took on to it — of course it had a great deal to say that we were located in dark medieval Poland when recording the DVD."

MetalHeart.se: During the past few years, you, apart from GORGOROTH, have been involved in a project called ORCUSTUS. Is this group a solo project or a band, and are you still active?

Infernus: "It is not a solo project, it is a band, and I am still active, yes. We were in studio a few weeks ago recording some three teasers to be used on some different occasions before we will release our first full-length, 'Transdimensional Holocaust', on Southern Lord Records."

Infernus' entire interview with MetalHeart.se (in Swedish) can be found at this location.

(Thanks: David Noaksson / MetalHeart.se)