On the night of 23rd February 2023, the city of Munich bore witness to a mystical musical journey as the Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth took to the stage at Backstage Werk. Formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who remains the sole original member, Gorgoroth has ever since been a significant name in the black metal realm, with nine studio albums under their belt​¹​. Their music, a blend of satanism, darkness, death, Nietzscheanism, and war themes, resonates with the depths of existential angst, and transports listeners to a realm of enigmatic melodies​²​.

The Munich gig was part of their Black Metal Revelation Tour 2023, and the setlist was a captivating blend of their timeless and new tracks, encompassing songs like “Marche funèbre,” “Bergtrollets Hevn,” “Aneuthanasia,” and “Ødeleggelse og undergang”​³​. The crowd was ensnared in a trance, moving to the rhythm of despair and hope intertwined in dark chords and haunting vocals. The tickets were priced at €28.20, and the doors opened at 19:00, allowing fans to assemble and share their anticipation before the shadows descended with the first strum of the guitar​⁴​.

Sharing the stage with Gorgoroth were the bands Doodswens, Hats Barn, and Tyrmfar, each bringing a unique flavor of metal, creating an atmosphere thick with a visceral energy that only the metal genre can invoke​⁵​. The venue, Backstage Werk at Reitknechtstr. 6, 80639 München, Bayern – Germany, was the perfect backdrop for such a dark and enigmatic performance, encapsulating the raw essence of black metal that Gorgoroth epitomizes​⁶​.

The event was not just a concert, but a pilgrimage for the black metal community in Munich, who had awaited Gorgoroth’s return for five years. As the night wrapped up, the echoes of Gorgoroth’s melancholic yet empowering tunes lingered in the cold Munich air, leaving a mark not only on the night but on the very soul of the city’s black metal community.