24/12/2024
Exclusive Interview
Featuring Christophe Chatalet of Gorgon
Since 1991, Franceās Gorgon has been a voice for true black metal. They were championed by underground mainstay record label Osmose Productions who played a key role in the distribution of their music early on, and since their official signing to said label in 2018, their product has reached all new levels of viability. But the horde has always been there; ever faithful to Gorgonās brand of unflinchingly essential BM: authentic and proud, Satanic and blasphemous.
Gorgon frontman, Christophe Chatalet, is a deeply insightful individual with an astute black metal IQ, so when the opportunity to interview him presented itself, I jumped on it. There are a ton of so-called black metal bands out there, but very few of them even understand the fact that the music theyāre creating might be blackened, but at its core, itās not really black metal at allā¦ Imposters! And the people who endorse these bands (Emperor, Dark Funeral, Immortal etc.) are a blight upon what began as something pure; a movement that was never meant to be seen in the mainstream spotlight. Thereās certainly nothing wrong with a band building a career behind their music, but to call yourself a black metal band when youāre not only signed to a major label, but also peddling s**t like Emperor brand coffee on social media is sacrilege. Chris and Gorgon stand firmly-rooted in the ways of olde: playing select concerts in modest venues for their diehard followers, releasing albums that admonish the mainstream and holding tight to the idea that true black metal is for true black metal people; people whose ears are always turned to the underground.
During this in depth interview, Chris Chatalet of Gorgon discusses the early French scene, his opinion on the current state of black metal as a whole, his outlook on Christian progressivism and the music behind Gorgon - the under-sung villains of false black metalā¦
RD: Hails, Chris and welcome. Gorgon was established in 1991 during the onset of the Second-Wave of black metal, which was an era largely dominated by the Scandinavians. What can you tell us about the early French scene and Gorgonās formative years?
Chris: Greetings and thank you for having us in your publication. Yes, Scandinavia dominated the scene then, but Greece already had its trio: Rotting Christ, Necromantia and Varathron. Switzerland had Samaƫl and here and there, groups were starting to make waves around the world. France was under the influence of Thrash and Death Metal, which were sweeping the nation, and most of the bands evolved in these styles. For my part, I wanted to play Black Metal, so against the tide, I formed Gorgon with myself and two female members, who came from the Thrash scene. This trio played concerts and recorded a single demo, and then the adventure continued with different lineups afterwards. We were quickly in contact with various groups from around the world, and we saw the movement grow. France also followed with its share of groups claiming this style, which we randomly discovered through flyers or messages received. This excitement took off here thanks to the commercial success of Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, but also thanks to the national labels: Osmose Productions, Holy Records and Adipocere Records who also distributed beautiful lists that were to be envied.
RD: The Norwegian and Polish scenes became Nefarious for church arsons and random acts of vandalism by outfits like Mayhem and Thunderbolt. How did you feel about what were then considered by these groups as āacts of warā?
Chris: It didn't bother me, because it went with the spirit of that time period, and many groups in the zines claimed to be a part of this crusade. Nowadays, this has dissipated, even though desecration of cemeteries and other places continues to be carried out by people linked to the scene. This extreme music naturally comes from worshipers who are just as extreme in their actions, so it doesn't shock me. Rap music with its share of ābad boysā and delinquents also know this. There is the music, but also the daily life, which is linked and inseparable from it.
RD: Satanism is a common theme in Gorgonās music. I feel like itās coming from a place of genuineness with you, but the same cannot be said about other mainstream bands who only use Satanic themes and imagery as a way to fit in and sell records. What do you think about black metal bands that peddle their merch and records under the guise of faux Satanism?
Chris: Imagery is an important element in BM, so many groups are doing like the others to try and exist without understanding the spirit behind it. This desire to identify with others is natural in men in order to feel safe and not rejected by the group to which we claim to belong. Also, it's true, we manage to see photos or covers of particularly ridiculous groups, even distressing, and this undermines their music, which suddenly loses the little flavor that we might have found there. These mainstream groups do not bring a positive image to the scene, but we cannot prevent their creation. However, given the mass of groups that pollute the scene, ignoring them is not a big deal in itself as we can fall back on other groups that deserve our attention if we look carefully. Time will make them disappear and be forgotten. It's just a shame for the other groups who would have deserved our attention, and whose twists and turns we have to dig into to find them, but that's also the underground - a constant search for rare pearls that are not put in the spotlight of popularity.
RD: Youāve also expressed vehement anti-Christian sentiments throughout your career. The Bible Thumpers of the ā80ās and ā90ās are a thing of the past. Now, we find ourselves in the age of Mega Churches and Christian progressivism, but the dogmas will never change, despite this new wave of supposed open-mindedness within the church. Whatās your take on modern Christendom and how churches are currently operating?
Chris: Yes, dogmas will not change and this is the very principle of religions. There are texts considered sacred, which have been written and to which time will not make any alteration. We understand that there can be an evolution or variations to adapt to the century, or the period in which we live in, but the foundations remain the same essentially. This is also normal, because what credibility would a religion have if it regularly alters its teaching? Using television or the internet, or any other means of disseminating their ideas is a normal adaptation to reach their followers and recruit. But in itself, I don't feel concerned by these small changes. Itās their business, their way of continuing to exist and maintaining this whole, which is crumbling here and there in the face of the real expectations of many people.
RD: Okay, letās get into the music. Youāre set to release a new album via Osmose Productions, āFor Those Who Stayā. This album is the third and final installment in a trilogy of records that have been released from 2019 to now: āThe Veil of Darknessā, āTraditio Satanaeā and āFor Those Who Stayā. Can you explain the story or concept behind these albums?
Chris: Our 2019 album, āThe Veil Of Darknessā, is the one that makes the most reference to the Evil One, which treats the subject from different aspects such as black magic, worship and its many blasphemous sides. āTraditio Satanaeā - released in 2021 - gradually slides toward more personal themes with stories that evoke different ways of approaching the dark side in the broad sense. It is not always easy to reinvent ourselves in our texts/styles, yet we always try to bring different elements and find ideas that stand out from what we have already written about. Our latest album is based on death; with what I consider to be well-researched mournful poetry and some idiosyncrasies we've never written about before. It is a series of independent stories which form a whole in my eyes.
RD: You signed with Osmose in 2018, and I feel like theyāve represented your music beautifully. Howās your working relationship with Osmose and how would you compare that relationship with that of other labels?
Chris: Created the same year as us, in 1991, they have always supported us, distributing our demo from 1992 then our EP and also our first album in 1995. We had to wait until 2018 for them to sign us; 2019 being the year of our first album released with them (the fifth of our career). Our relationship has always been good; further facilitated by our common language for our exchanges. They are based in the North of the country, we're in the South, so this may surprise you, but, I've only met the owner once. He was with the label's graphic designer and they came to see us in 2021 during a festival in our capital, Paris. They give us artistic freedom, and all signed contracts have been respected. They have a good reputation, a back catalog so revered by many fans and our good understanding has continued since our signing: CD, LP, vinyl, tape, streaming, merch, YouTube channel, all the classic media to broadcast our music and our name are made available to us. So, over the years we have not tried to break this union. Itās a successful partnership for us and one that we hope will last.
RD: Gorgon is an active live band. How have fans been responding to the new material?
Chris: They were very impatient for this new opus, which took a long time to see the light of day, and for the moment, we are seeing real enthusiasm for it. The fact that we have been coming back for several years, performing live in different places and reaching people who didn't know us has only increased the number of people who are interested in us. The response is more massive with each album release, and given the work carried out, this reassures us in our efforts. Live, the new tracks fit well into our set list and there is no downtime. We don't notice any drop in pressure.
RD: What does your live ritual schedule look like moving forward?
Chris: Weāve had two new band members for over a year at our side now, who, throughout rehearsals and concerts, have progressed in both their playing and stage performances. So, our āIn your faceā side, direct, without compromise, is accentuated. We have very little props on stage. We base our concerts more on the intensity of our performances. We obviously reworked a set list which covers the majority of our discography and includes new titles. We don't do a lot of concerts, so each date has its own particularity. There is nothing routine. To date, we have played in eight countries including Italy and Switzerland where we are returning in 2025, and two new territories are planned, which will increase the number to ten.
RD: I feel like Euronymous is turning in his grave at the current state of black metal commercialization: kids eating nachos while watching Emperor perform at festivals, Dark Funeral touring with nothing but death metal bands and things of that nature. Whatās your opinion on how the mainstream black metal scene is impacting what was meant to be an underground movement?
Chris: Just like Punk and surely other movements before, Black Metal has allowed itself to be perverted by a mass of groups and pseudo fans who dishonor it. Many people who say they are fans of the style are in fact only fans of a handful of affiliated groups such as Dark Funeral, Emperor, Belphegor, Immortal or Behemoth. Apart from these popular groups, they have no knowledge of the underground and do not support the groups that comprise it. In France, if you organize a Mayhem concert, you will have five times more people than a BM concert with groups not exposed to the spotlight. However, in both cases, the listener is supposed to like it and come to see BM live. Taking a step back, we see that the same is true for Heavy Metal. Where Iron Maiden will attract thousands of people, more modest groups also playing Heavy Metal will have much fewer entries. Itās all about popularity and media exposure. Many local tribute bands to AC/DC, Megadeth or Pantera bring more people to concerts than groups playing the same style who have their own repertoire. The arrival of the internet and social networks is the major cause of this drift which touches BM. Previously, you had to know someone to be able to enter the scene, see distribution lists, listen to demos and acquire fanzines. For many years now, without leaving the comfort of your home, with a connected computer you can listen to everything for free, see live concerts, get information and order what you want without going through a third party. In the end, there is definitely a lot of waste in this mass of āfansā who access everything without deserving, it or even understanding its spirit.
RD: The French scene has become increasingly grandiose and elegant over the years. There are some enthusiasts who feel like this sort of beauty is unbecoming of what constitutes true black metal. Do you feel like some of these bands are misrepresenting the genre, or are you a proponent of French black metalās evolution?
Chris: I think I see what you mean, but for me, some of these groups that claim to be Black Metal are not according to my criteria. Many groups label their style like that, but do not manifest it in their approach. They make a kind of extreme metal musically, but thatās where it ends. Black Metal is not a big catch-all with blast music and screaming vocals. Incidentally, I note that it is the same for Death Metal. Many bands use this name (sometimes even āModern Death Metalā) but they just make metal with a big voice and thereās nothing Death Metal about it. In short, in France, Black Metal goes in all directions and deals with everything: the stars, life in the countryside, the history of our country, the First World War, mental illnesses and the "evil" side of historical origins. The āBlackā side, in short, has disappeared. So, we have our share of bands calling themselves ridiculous nicknames like Post-Black Metal, and the lyrics go with it. It's not that there's no work behind it, that it's poorly played, that their texts are poorly written or even that they don't have the right to exist; it's just that it's not Black Metal. Itās not an evolution of the scene; itās a perversion made by people who donāt recognize themselves as Black Metal, but who take ingredients from the genre to spit it out into something else. Therefore, they have āgeneral publicā admirers who also have the impression of being fans of black metal when this is not the case.
RD: Do you have a message for the horde?
Chris: The story continues for us with this new album - the wildest according to the person who recorded us and who prefers this word to ābrutalā. A new phase which will involve concerts here and there, and in which we hope to meet those who follow us, have already seen us or are eager to discover us on stage. We have remained faithful to what this style should be, and will enjoy showing it.
A special thank you to Chris and Gorgon.
~Jeger
Experience āTroops of the Fallenā from āFor Those Who Stayā by Gorgon right here:
https://youtu.be/joubd91thUc?si=O53_f8W5_xJSkcOL
