GORGON - Conversation with French Black Metal Pionneers

NOIRE: Hi Gorgon, could you introduce yourself to our readers?

CHRIS: Hello and thank you for welcoming and supporting us. We are the band Gorgon, based in the South of France. We formed in 1991 with a different lineup than the current one, and to date we have released 7 albums, 2 EPs, and a split CD.

We have also appeared on around thirty compilations, both cassette and CD, and we have played in various countries such as Finland, Spain, Canada, Sweden, Romania, Germany, and Portugal.

NOIRE: You are one of the pioneering French black metal bands. How have you seen black metal evolve since the 90s?

CHRIS: Originally, Black Metal was more of a single style of music with different facets, naturally blending speed, melody, brutality, dissonance, and other elements. Over time, however, various subgenres have emerged, with a profusion of different names: Symphonic Black Metal, Brutal Black Metal, Depressive Suicidal Black Metal, Occult Black Metal, and so on. This current, somewhat ridiculous, existence of subgenres is a consequence of this evolution and its opening up to the masses. Previously, no one pigeonholed Beherit or Blasphemy into one category and Necromantia or Rotting Christ into another. These bands had their own particularities, and they all embodied a single style: Black Metal, without the need for additional labels.

Black metal was also automatically based on satanic and occult lyrics and imagery, whereas today it's a complete mess, with everyone talking about anything and everything while abusively associating themselves with this style of music. The politicization of the style by some is also linked to this phenomenon. There was a real breakthrough for the underground scene in France with the success of Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, and to a lesser extent, Immortal. When mainstream media and the metal press took an interest in the style, a whole new audience discovered a genre they had previously rejected or were unaware of. I remember a review of Bathory's fourth album in Hard Force magazine saying that it was an improvement compared to their previous discography and that the next one might be worth listening to.

Finally, the internet became the gateway to a whole generation of "followers" who embraced the style and primarily glorified the major bands, with no desire to learn about the players in the underground scene (zines, radio stations, bands, labels, etc.) who perpetuate the genre with the same passion. This aspect is common to many metal styles, of course. The "great metal family" that claims to love and support Heavy Metal or Thrash Metal, for example, actually only likes certain bands, and that's enough for them. Compare the attendance at an Iron Maiden or Slayer concert to those of other French bands in the same style. Thousands of people on one side, a hundred on the other.

This "family" only supports the well-known bands that are submitted to them; the fans who show up support a particular style. I say this without denigrating these major bands, who often achieve the success they deserve, and there's no jealousy involved either; it's simply an observation that smaller festivals often face. The internet, mentioned recently, isn't to blame; it's a good tool for promotion and communication between bands, zines, and organizers, but let's be realistic, it has killed the magical and "secret" aspect that Black Metal had in the 90s. Finally, I would also mention the skill level of musicians in this style, which, compared to the previous three decades, is significantly higher. This doesn't mean that there are better songs being composed, far from it.

NOIRE : What originally inspired you to create Gorgon?

CHRIS:  Venom, Celtic Frost, Bulldozer, Sarcofago, and others were the bands I listened to most in the late 80s, so I wanted to play that style of music. This led me to create a band I called Gorgon.

After finding a drummer, formerly of The Witches, who had a spare rehearsal space, we started rehearsing the songs I was writing. Death Metal and Thrash dominated the French extreme music scene at that time, but it wasn't the style I wanted to play. It wasn't fashionable at all, but I did it out of passion, without any calculation. As a result, our first gigs with the Italian band Sadist or our fellow countrymen No Return meant we were the only ones playing that style on the bill. But being "outside," different, never bothered us.

NOIRE : You are celebrating your 35th birthday this year. Do you feel you have evolved musically since your beginnings? What do you appreciate most about black metal music?

CHRIS:  Indeed, this year marks our 35th anniversary, but we haven't planned anything to celebrate; we're not even thinking about it. It's important to remember that we had a very long hiatus; it wasn't 35 consecutive years. I think we've evolved musically since our beginnings, that's undeniable and even satisfying. Stagnate is never very self-congratulatory, even though we don't deny our past at all.

I could mention the increased work on guitar melodies, with an even more in-your-face approach. The musical brutality has been stepped up a notch, or even several notches, and we're also tighter rhythmically. This is partly thanks to the technical skill of our drummer, Hellesylt, which allows us to go in new directions and explore new avenues. It's also vital for us to offer things we're proud of and that broaden our sonic spectrum.

The musical richness of the style, combined with its dark side, is what I love most about Black Metal because it's a universe to be experienced as a whole. The technical aspect is secondary for me; only the overall feeling matters.

NOIRE : Black metal has been making a comeback in recent years, fueled by a surge in popularity on social media and the increasing number of black metal bands featured at festivals. Are you enjoying the current scene? Are there any emerging black metal bands you particularly like?

CHRIS: Personally, I don't find that Black Metal is more prevalent than before. There are, however, more bands and releases, which might give the style a more visible image. Since more festivals are also being created each year, this impression of greater exposure is perhaps related to that. Nevertheless, apart from the rare festivals dedicated to the style, mainly abroad, the number of Black Metal bands performing in France is really diluted across the lineups. The public's enthusiasm remains, and always will remain, for the leading acts of the style, so bands are sparingly invited to mass gatherings. The same is true for one-off concerts; many organizations accept Death Metal, but not Black Metal, in their programming, a choice I respect.

Compared to previous years, I have very little time to listen to what's currently being released. I dedicate so much time to Gorgon that I hardly have any left to check out what's coming out here and there. So, apart from a few bands like Funerarium, which I've been following for several years, I'm not really the right person to mention new releases. At a time when I could listen to and discover so many bands, and for free online—something I would have loved in the '90s—I don't even take advantage of it. However, I do listen to the bands recommended by people who come to see me in concert. There are always band members or fans who tell me to check out this or that group, and I usually do it afterward, just so they know.

NOIRE : Your music is characterized by a fast tempo, with a punk, aggressive edge. How do you work on your compositions?

CHRIS: Our music is primarily developed solo at the beginning, meaning I compose all the music beforehand. I play and assemble the parts that I feel suit the band, keeping in mind not to reproduce what we've already done in the past. There's real creative freedom, and I'm not trying to recreate what's trendy. Once the music for a song is finalized, along with some of the lyrics, we rehearse everything with the drummer to create a definitive version. We work through this by trying different tempos to find the right one, and then we move on to the next song.

When we arrive at the studio, there's usually no improvisation of the structure. When we go in, we're ready. Many of our tracks are designed for live performance, and the punk element you might sometimes detect comes from the fact that we appreciate that energetic side, so characteristic of the style. But it's neither obligatory nor calculated; it has to serve the song in question.

NOIRE: I had the pleasure of seeing you on stage at Berry Metal Fest last April. You have a few dates planned, such as La Nuit des Peûhtes in Chaumont on August 15th. Looking back over all these years, what's your state of mind going into the stage now?

CHRIS: Yes, we'll be in Chaumont on August 15th with, among others, Old Black and Gorgoyl, with whom we played in Luxembourg a few years ago. It's a great underground lineup, which suits us perfectly. We have other dates scheduled this year, such as Metz the day before on August 14th, Italy for the third time in 2026, Muscadeath in September, Poland in October, Hungary and Switzerland in November, and Germany again next year.

When we go on stage, we're usually calm because we know we gave our best in rehearsal to deliver it to the audience. However, even though we know our songs inside and out, technical problems can arise that spoil the performance as we envisioned it.

That's the nature of live performance, so we have to overcome that and give the audience what they came for or to discover, because many people discover us this way. Generally, we're rewarded for the work we put in at the rehearsal space, and this accumulation of gigs trains and sharpens us for the following shows.

NOIRE: What are your future projects? A new album in the works, perhaps?

CHRIS: We are currently working on our 8th album, which I think will be recorded at the beginning of next year or really at the end of 2026. There is no title yet to name it, but a good part of the music is already laid down and honors the discography of the group.

In parallel, we're also working on the various concerts mentioned earlier. This songwriting process is a long-term undertaking, as many people are counting on us to give them another album that will be in heavy rotation on their turntables. We have confidence in our potential, but since we always want "more," it's up to us to reach this point, or even surpass it, so as not to disappoint their expectations.

Thanks to Chris de Gorgon, Maxime d'Öld Black et au label Osmose Productions !