Gorgoroth is a band with quite the interesting history. Once seen as a B-tier Burzum clone (in the mid to late 1990s), the band - headed by the trio of Gaahl (Kristian Espedal), King ov Hell (Thomas Visnes), and Infernus (Roger Tiegs) - soon devolved into a laughing stock for the entire black metal genre, chaining scandal after scandal, and releasing mediocre album after mediocre album.
Gaahl served time in prison in 2001 for assault. He says it was committed in self-defense. In April 2007, Gaahl was accused of "ritually abusing" a man at his home and threatening to drink his blood. His mother testified in court in her son's defense, saying her boy is a vegetarian and wouldn't enjoy drinking blood.
In February of that year, Infernus (Roger Tiegs) was convicted of "gross negligent rape" for the sexual assault of a Congolese immigrant woman, in Bergen. The accusation party argued that Infernus and his partner had engaged in voluntary gang rape, and tried to threaten the woman with repercussion (she was undocumented). Infernus' lawyer stated blankly that Tiegs was "too intoxicated" to know the woman didn't consent.
The scandals continued all the way until late 2007, when the band Gorgoroth broke up... Vocalist Gaahl and bassist King ov Hell were tired of Infernus' drama - which ex-drummer Grim ties to Infernus' change in personality, which occurred after an "incident" in prison. The two factions were Gaahl and King ov Hell on one side, and Infernus on the other. It resolved semi-peacefully with the courts ruling in Infernus' favour, but the enmity between all parties is still heavy to this day.
More recently, in August 2023, Infernus was ambushed and beaten to a pulp in what many believe to be a politically motivated attack against the Gorgoroth band (accused of NSBM sympathies), and its oldest founding member, Roger Tiegs aka Infernus.
King ov Hell and Gaahl Unleash Fury Against "Infernus"
Since then, interviews of the band members have been rare, and mercilessly brief. It was only in the late winter of this year, with the release of "War Metal Beast" by best-selling heavy metal author Antoine Grand, that Gaahl and King ov Hell (as well as Grim) reacted to the news of Infernus getting sent to a hospital, for his unabashed political views.
Gaahl, on modern Gorgoroth and "Theistic/Orthodox" Satanism...
The first point of contention between the two factions is the belief, held by Infernus, of a personified "horned Devil". This led to Roger Tiegs "dressing up in a cape" (according to King ov Hell), and has been a subject of mockery from the rest of the black metal genre - see Fenriz' comments about the "poser clowns" Gorgoroth. Direct hits.
Gaahl doesn't believe in such nonsense, and thinks modern Gorgoroth followers are childish and ridiculous.
Gaahl: Their followers are incredibly ridiculous. It's all so childish. I will not waste my breath on discussing them. [...] When I use the word 'Satan' it means resistance to everything that holds you down. It means the natural order, the will of a man, the will to grow, the will to become the superman and not to be oppressed by [any such law], which is only a way to control the masses.
King ov Hell, in turn, opens up on why he detests Infernus. He claims he used to support Roger Tiegs, until he had his face associated with racialist rape culture.
King ov Hell: I had to be with Infernus for three years while he was going through a rape charge. I've had my picture in all the newspapers all around the world connected to racial rape. Which I hate. And still I stood by his side.
This paints a different picture than the lurid stories told by Infernus, about how he was "ambushed from behind" by Gaahl, and how he "defended his life with a katana". On the contrary, according to King ov Hell, both he and Gaahl stood behind Infernus 100%. At first, at least.
On "Racism and Homosexuality"...
According to former bassist and drummer Grim, Gorgoroth's bombastic guitarist changed "overnight" after going to jail.
Grim: Going to prison changed him. When he came out, he was all about spreading HIV and other weird sh[*]t. I don't know what the hell happened over there.
Infernus also gathered controversy when he supported "unprotected g*y s*x" and "sharing needles" (on the liner notes of Incipit Satan). Infernus later claimed HIV was "a gift from God". This infuriated Gaahl, who is against drug use (and also a homosexual man), and nearly led to the breakup of Gorgoroth 5 years before the infamous Quantos-gate in late 2007.
Gaahl: For instance, Infernus knows I'm against drugs and the drug-user mentality, which is the mentality of a [******], basically. But still, when I was in prison, he posted on the website, 'Gorgoroth supports the Sharing of Needles campaign.'King ov Hell: I don't support it, because it's for ret[*]rded people. (laughs)
Gaahl: If you do something like that, don't hang out with me.
Gaahl also compares Infernus to "filth", and says the original black metal ethos - from bands like Mayhem, Neraines, Burzum, and Darkthrone - shouldn't lower itself by associating with people like Roger Tiegs, who is regarded as a charlatan, a buffoon, and a cheap provocateur.
Gaahl: Black metal should represent the elite. It should deal with elitism, not filth. When you have people working with you who don't represent that, you have to get away from it. It's sucking the life out of you, basically. The way one speaks in interviews, Infernus always spoke as a 'we.' It's one of the things that annoyed me. It's so disrespectful to put his opinions in my mouth.
Another point of contention between the two men (perhaps), is that Gaahl - while a gay man - didn't associate himself with the promiscuous "swinger" culture privileged by the bisexual Tiegs. If anything, Espedal didn't want his private life broadcasted in public... or associated with the more "flamboyant" aspects of Infernus' personality. Nor the direction in which he was taking Gorgoroth.
Infernus, the Parasite of Gorgoroth...
King ov Hell then completely unloads on Tiegs, stating that if Gorgoroth is still regarded as a B-tier band - far below even "parody" acts like Warkvlt and Dimmu Borgir - it's because of Infernus, a "parasite" who earned his fame via the hard work of better musicians.
King of Hell: In Gorgoroth, Infernus was just earning fame and respect on stolen fruits, because he hadn't done anything. He just sat around abusing everything. He didn't partake or do anything about anything, and then it's like, OK, let's get rid of you. Because you have no place in this band at all. If Gaahl and I decided to leave Gorgoroth, what would be left? Infernus. A parasite.
That's pretty brutal. But not as brutal as the physical (!) assault Infernus was subjected to in the summer of 2023.
On Infernus getting physically ambushed at Hole in the Sky...
In early August 2023, guitarist Infernus was brutally beaten during or after a concert, at the Hole in the Sky festival (in Bergen). The assault was explained by Infernus' inflammatory statements and the current political atmosphere - which some bands have described as "witch hunts" (see Morgan, of Marduk, talking about political correctness in metal culture). The attacks against Tiegs - and others! - were celebrated on the Metallum forums, for instance.
Gaahl, surprisingly, shows solidarity with Infernus (for once). He also explains why he stands against censorship of musical artists (to the great chagrin of the Metallum crowd).
Gaahl: They're the most frightened people there are, and they're making rules to protect themselves, so they're denying this freedom. Why shouldn't a man say that he doesn't like Jews? Who really has a problem with someone saying that? If you are a Jew and don't allow people saying that they dislike you or hate you... what kind of a person are you if you don't let people speak up against you? It's the same if people talk down on me because I'm gay; Why should I be offended? Why should I even care? I think that they should be allowed to shout whatever they want.
King ov Hell, on the other hand, is more dismissive of Infernus' antics. He laughs at the idea that Roger Tiegs (the parasite) will enact "repercussions" (in his own words). He does wish him the best, though.
King ov Hell: It seems like all of this has awoken the wolf in him after years of being a bottom sheep and a sausage hopper, which is a good thing. I wish him the best for the future.
But, listening to these men, it's pretty clear that the seeds for dissension went back way further than anything that happened at Hole in the Sky in 2023. At any rate, the history of Gorgoroth is clearly one of controversy (even for a genre as controversial as black metal), and often unintentionally funny scandals. Gorgoroth has currently only two members left (besides session musicians): Roger "Infernus" Tiegs, and Stefan "Atterigner" Todorović (a deathcore singer from Serbia). Time will tell what becomes of them.
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