Gaahl

Gaahl

Kristian Eivind "Gaahl" Espedal is the vocalist for the Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth.

Biography

Gaahl was born in the village of Espedal, Fjaler, Norway in 1975. It was revealed in Peter Beste's documentary True Norwegian Black Metal that his family has lived in and owned the same tiny village in western Norway for centuries. Gaahl has been involved with black metal since 1992, and has been in bands such as Gaahlskagg (with Gorgoroth live guitarist Skagg), Trelldom, and Sigfader (with Skagg and Kvitrafn). Gaahl joined Gorgoroth in 1998, and was first heard on their Nuclear Blast album Destroyer; however, he only sang on the title track.

Gaahl was sentenced to one year in prison for assault in 2001, and was forced to pay the victim 158,000 NOK (26,963 US$). In 2006, Gaahl spent another 9 months (of a 14 month sentence) in prison for brutally assaulting a man and allegedly threatening to drink his blood in 2002. The victim received a total of 190,000 NOK (32,424 US$). Gaahl was released in December 2006.

He was briefly interviewed for the 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. He gives commentary on the events in Norway in the early 90s as well as some of his views on Satanism and Christianity.

In April 2007 Gaahl appeared in a 5 part series entitled True Norwegian Black Metal. The series was produced by famous black metal photographer Peter Beste. The series debuted on vbs.tv the broadcast network of Vice Magazine. Gaahl once more gives his views on Christianity, his paintings, and shows the film crew around his house and woods.

1. True Norwegian Black Metal Part 1[3]
2. True Norwegian Black Metal Part 2[4]
3. True Norwegian Black Metal Part 3[5]
4. True Norwegian Black Metal Part 4[6]
5. True Norwegian Black Metal Part 5[7]

Beliefs

Gaahl is popularly known as a Satanist, although he in fact regards Satan as culturally and spiritually irrelevant, and only uses Satanism to promote his staunch anti-Christianity on the basis that 'we live in a Christian world and we have to speak their language', also using it for its confrontational value to counter Christian imposition. In actuality, he is a practitioner of old Norse Shamanism, and is opposed to imposition of one's own religious beliefs on others. Ostensibly, Gaahl's spiritual beliefs further cemented Gorgoroth's lyrical suppression.

Discography

With Gorgoroth

• Destroyer (1998)
• Incipit Satan (2000)
• Twilight of the Idols (2003)
• Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (2006)

With Trelldom

• Disappearing of the Burning Moon (1994)
• Til Evighet (1995)
• Til et Annet… (1998)
• Til Minne... (2007)

With Gaahlskagg

• Split with Stormfront (1999)
• Erotic Funeral (2000)

With Sigfader

• Sigfaders Hevner (1999)

External Links

• Official Myspace