23rd March 2025

Review: “Cerberus” by Galgeberg

At one time the stench of rotting dangling corpses was heavy in the air upon Gallows Hill, an intersection in the city of Oslo in Norway from which Galgeberg take their name. It’s a literal translation that casts a shadow over the place… and therefore feels like an appropriate name for a band who combine HM2 style Old School Death Metal with the rebellious spirit of Punk. As if to drive the point home like a hammer to a nail, they have also chosen the name of the mythological three headed guard dog of Hades “Cerberus” as the title for their debut album. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Ruben Willem (Djevel, Bokassa, Nadir) at Amper Tone Studio and adorned by artwork from Kim Diaz Holm (Abbath, Sólstafir, Bong Coffin), it was recorded in a single, intense 16 hour long session by musicians who have previously been known for their work in Blood Tsunami, Emperor, Hellride and Studfaust to name but a few…

Delving into the depths of societal decay, religious scepticism and political corruption with their lyrical themes means, as you might expect, Galgeberg pull no punches when it comes to getting their point of view across and making their presence felt. The trio confront the conventional and challenge societal normality with wide reaching influences while consistently embracing the raw grit and integrity of the HM2 Stockholm Death Metal metal sound, as if it were a long lost lover returned. Opening cut “Epicurean Paradox” shoots first and asks questions about the existence of divine justice later, raw buzzsaw riffs tearing down the blue skies all the while. Barked backing vocals from bassist Peter “Bosse” Boström are well matched by the shriller tones of guitarist Peter Vegem, the pair going toe to toe throughout with alarming regularity. The biggest surprise is the presence of a fleeting solo before Vegem roars “Your God is f***ing s***!“, a classic mic drop moment. Death Thrash rears its ugly head with the unsettling portrayal of the meat industry that is “Unparalleled Suffering“, drummer Bård Eithun making full use of every piece of hardware at his disposal as he blasts his way through this one in style. The intense energy the trio are able to generate gives the record the feel of a live performance while the ferocious nature of the vocals proves that all of their lyrical narratives have true meaning.

If you hadn’t guessed it, “Ode to O’Connor” is Punk Metal tribute to Sinéad O’Connor’s bold and brave stand against institutional abuse with a flamboyant solo at its bitter, black heart. The violent turbulence of this is not to be underestimated, the spirit of Black ‘n Roll and Motorhead buried somewhere underneath the rubble. Turning the screw, “Prelude to Genocide” explores the insidious seeds of hatred planted by politicians that lead to racial violence. Like the best of musicians, those themes are there to be investigated with a magnifying glass on the lyric sheet if you so desire but if not there is always a rampaging circle pit worthy riff-o-rama to enjoy. Despite the savage exterior in distorted guitars and feral vocals “Kleptocrat Infestation” has a punk heart of pure gold and threatens to burst into a Sex Pistols cover on more than one occasion. It has all those angst ridden qualities with politicians who line their own pockets receiving the middle finger and rightly so. Trimming the fat until they can see the white of the bone “Hordes of Necrovores” offers once last knuckleduster punch in the face, this time taking aim at the way in which parts of society have become consumer driven. A short, sharp and toxic assault on the senses, its a reminder of just how devolved humanity can get when left to its own devices [7.5/10]

Track Listing