Cirith Gorgor: Sovereign (2019)

Cirith Gorgor is a Dutch black metal band who takes their name from a Tolkien reference, which is not terribly uncommon.  The name means "Haunted Pass" and refers to a point where two mountain ranges meet north of Mordor.  So, kind of nerdy.  I had to look it up, because I have not actually read any of the Tolkien material and my knowledge is based mostly around the movies.  And even that, I don't know that well.  I know much more about the bands who use Tolkien references.

Despite the name that references Tolkien, Cirith Gorgor's lyrical content has very little (or nothing) to do with the author's work.  It is much more of a typical black metal band in this respect, preferring to tackle evil and Satanic subject matter.

After a majestic-sounding introduction and a call to arms, the album kicks off into a much more familiar-sounding blast-beat-driven traditional black metal track.  Most of the album seems to alternate between frenzied black metal a la Dark Funeral and Marduk and more brooding, intense, plodding black metal in the vein of Mayhem.  It is the slower tracks that tend to be the more impressive because the band is not as concerned with making as much noise as possible.  The riffs are generally more interesting and the band is able to show off their instrumental abilities.  The faster tracks get kind of lost in the bludgeoning drums and whirlwind of riffs. 

The standout track is "Legio Luporum" which is where all of the bands strengths come together to form a monster of a song.  It features the best riffs, dynamic tempo and atmospheric changes and the best vocal performance on the album.  It also kicks off the second half of the album which is much more impressive than the first half of the album. 

This is not a ground-breaking album, and I am not sure where it ranks among Cirith Gorgor releases, but it is decent enough.  If you are looking for traditional black metal done well, this album is just fine.  Just do not go into thinking it will be brand new and original.  It is fairly run of the mill black metal.