Gorgoroth hails from the mecca of black metal, Bergen, Norway, and takes its name from the plateau of darkness and evil in the Lord of the Rings.

Watch the video (NSFW) here below for Gorgoroth’s “Carving A Giant,” from the album Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam.

Since the band’s inception in 1992, it has been a lightning rod for controversy. As early as their first demos, their heavily Satanic imagery and lyrics led local parents to contact the local sheriff with their concerns. When they signed with Nuclear Blast, many fans cried foul at their alliance with the large mainstream metal label.

For this week’s edition of Black Metal Friday we examine the force of nature that is 1349.

Watch the video for “When I Was Flesh” here below.

The band hails from Oslo, Norway and their name is a reference to the year that the black plague reached Norway. Led by frontman Ravn and drummer Frost (who is also a member of Satyricon), the band present a challenging aural assault that is only intensified by their electrifying live performances. See for yourself in the official video for “When I Was Flesh,” the fifth track from the band’s fifth album, 2010’s Demonoir.

This week we look at the first black metal band to ever sign with a major record label (EMI). Hailing from Oslo, Norway, Satyricon formed in 1991. Since 1993, Satyr (vocals) and Frost (drums) have been the band’s only permanent members. Their first three albums were very true to the core formula of black metal, but starting with their fourth album, Satyricon started to incorporate more traditional hard rock elements. As a result, the band has become one of the biggest international success stories to emerge from the Norwegian black metal scene.

“The Pentagram Burns” is the third track of their sixth album Now, Diabolical released in 2006. Check it out here below.