Review by Dominik on July 16, 2025.

In a recent review, I reflected — with perhaps a hint too much sarcasm — on the notion that every country seems obliged to produce its own Impaled Nazarene surrogate. Finland's gift to chaos has inspired more than just a few musical misdemeanors, and France, it seems, has now made its own offering. Somewhere between the wine-soaked crypts of French black metal elitism and the blastbeat-fueled trenches of sonic chaos, Gorgon has crawled out grinning, middle finger firmly extended, to deliver "For Those Who Stay", their latest full-length, which is my first and — so far — only exposure to their work. It is an album that doesn't revolutionize the genre, but absolutely helps to set it on fire and urinates on the ashes just in case.

Sure, it's not a carbon copy of Impaled Nazarene — Gorgon thankfully brings enough of their own madness to the table to avoid getting sued — but if you hear echoes of "Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz" or "Ugra Karma", you're not hallucinating. The spirit is similar — that distinct mix of unhinged aggression, blackened (sometimes punk) energy, and a proudly indelicate attitude toward songcraft.

From the start, "For Those Who Stay" signals its intentions. The title track kicks things off with a welcome punch to the face. It is fast, fierce, and just melodic enough to keep your brain from leaking out of your ears entirely. A catchy, even pleasant, riff slips in under the chorus, which adds some nuance to the otherwise relentless pace. It's a reminder — repeated throughout the album — that even in chaos, a memorable hook is never unwelcome. Tracks like "Vatican's Fall" and especially "Tod.Mort.Death" (because why stick to one language when you can scream "death" in three?) don't bother with subtlety. The latter is as unrestrained as its trilingual title implies. It begins in full black-thrash mode before veering into borderline incoherent territory — but in a way that feels intentional, not lazy. There's a rawness here that isn't accidental, and when the vocalist barks the chorus over the carnage, one might be forgiven for briefly thinking Mika Luttinen relocated to Marseille and found religion (only to lose it immediately in a bar fight).

The song that comes closest to being the highpoint of the album is "Despicable Beggars." Here, the band reins in its more manic impulses just long enough to give the guitar room to stretch out. It begins laid back, then explodes into speed-drenched madness before easing into a groove you can almost nod to without risking a broken neck. It's not a reinvention of the genre, but it's an effective and memorable piece of songwriting. Across the album's 40 minutes, the quality remains high and somewhat homogeneous. There's little variance in tempo or tone, which creates a strange paradox: an album that feels fast and energetic, but also — by the halfway mark — oddly predictable. That said, there's no weak track. The two closing songs are among the better ones, with "Deserters As Prey" delivering a satisfying farewell with more thrashing riffage and one last affectionate impersonation of Luttinen.

Production-wise, everything is in order. The mix is clean enough to give each instrument space but retains just enough grit to feel authentic. The (session) drummer performs well, keeping the intensity up without overcomplicating matters. The album's atmosphere — or more accurately, its lack thereof — is also worth noting. Whenever a moment of restraint threatens to appear, it is smothered with the enthusiasm of a band that doesn't care whether it's going to sell 100 or 100.000 copies of their album.

"For Those Who Stay" is an accessible album which is easy to like and digest. However, don't expect this typical French experimental approach which some bands (think Deathspell Omega or The Great Old Ones) exemplify with complex, layered compositions and themes that transcend the usual Satanic tropes. There's no cosmic Lovecraftian dread here, no theological treatises buried in reversed Gregorian chants. It's just furious, dirty, often hilarious black metal chaos with a whiff of thrash at times. "For Those Who Stay" is blissfully unburdened by philosophy or subtlety. There is nothing overly "intellectual" here which is part of the album´s charm.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10, because sometimes, not giving a damn is exactly the point.

Review by Jeger on November 8, 2024.

France’s Gorgon - pioneers of the renowned French black metal scene. Over the years, this particular movement has become defined by elegance and grandiosity as notional to the rise of bands such as SETH and Gravenoire whose visions for black metal do not necessarily fall in line with how the genre began all those years ago when the spirit of Devil worship and the incursion of blasphemy were what mattered. Founded in 1991, during the birthing years of the second wave, Gorgon established themselves long before this modern era of genre refinement, and their music is reflective of those first pure days when the threat of anti-Christian wrath loomed o’er sheepish chapels and hallowed places of worship. On November 29, 2024,  Gorgon will release the third album in a trilogy that began with their Osmose Productions debut, The Veil Of Darkness and continued with 2021’s Traditio Satanae, now culminating with For Those Who Stay. 

The Osmose era for Gorgon has proven to be a high watermark for the band. Proper representation has thus far brought out the very best in them as far as recording dynamics and visual aesthetics are concerned. With For Those Who Stay, Gorgon has unveiled a stunningly melodic yet brutal specimen of ‘90’s harkening BM that captures the spirit of the second wave, but without the one-dimensional dryness that once defined early black metal in its true form. Instead, we have a well-saturated and textured tapestry of sound; nicely composed and illuminated to vibrancy by enhanced recording techniques; just the right balance between grit and clarity. Influences ranging from chugging thrash in 'Vatican’s Fall' to engaging melodic BM passages in 'The Art Of Dying' and 'Despicable Beggars' draw to mind “Pentagram” era Gorgoroth, “Storm Of The Light’s Bane” era Dissection and “Far Away From The Sun” era Sacramentum, but teeming with the kind of unbridled aggression that we’ve come to expect from Gorgon. 

For Those Who Stay is a feast; nuanced by unpredictable changes in tempo along with tantalizing atmospheric elements. Serpentine during some parts and reciprocal during others. The result? An inertia-inducing yet accessible ride where intense passages ravage the cortex before other more ensnaring parts lull you into a state of melodious bliss; a blessed alternation between blast-ridden ferocity and fulfilling melodic richness. Toss in a little Vampiric organ at the beginning and at the end of the recording and what you end up with is a full-bellied sensation - gullet packed with all the essentials - total and complete satisfaction. 

What a criminally underrated band, what a gem of an album, and what a fine example of genuine black metal. Gorgon are a TRUE black metal band whose genre IQ is paralleled by few. Projects like Gorgon, Funeral Winds, and Satanic Warmaster are what keep authentic BM thriving just below surface level in that coveted place betwixt the deep underground and the mainstream, and it’s labels like Osmose Productions who sentinel the quality of this art without compromise. Gorgon - French black metal beholden not to the grandeur of today’s oft-gaudy scene but rooted in the black mark traditions of olde. And may their scourge continue to burn its way onward toward true BM infamy’s blackened horizon. 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10