GORGOROTH frontman Gaahl — who, along with bassist King ov Hell, is involved in a legal dispute with guitarist Infernus over the rights to the group's name — has released the following statement:
"I have registered some concern from friends and fans about the upcoming European tour in November because of the last day's happenings. I can guarantee that the tour will go on as scheduled.
"GORGOROTH has not split up but continued on in a different form. We will do this tour in honor of our working partners, booking agency, promoters and the audience who already bought tickets to the concerts. The alternative would be cancellation, which under no circumstance would I allow at this point in time.
"Originally I had the intention of leaving Infernus with some sort of integrity. The way this case has developed I have no other choice but to reveal some of the reasons why I can no longer work with him.
"First and foremost, it's the disrespect he has shown our working partners; record labels, session musicians, promoters (by sending unserious demands in riders etc.) and producers we have worked with over the years which has lead to this decision.
"In addition, he has not been a creative force for the last eight years. He has shown no interest in the art defining GORGOROTH during that same period of time. He has not shown up for rehearsals and has broken agreements on several occasions. This is also an important reason in explaining why he is not part of GORGOROTH at the time being. He has broken the codex of honor and is not living by his own rules, the rules he set for himself and his surroundings on all levels.
"I have tried for several years my best to continue in the original form in hopes for a change and I have done so in honor of his previous work in GORGOROTH and the fact that he is the founding member. I've hoped that he would become the artist he once was several years ago and I've realized that it will never happen. It's gotten to a point were King and I can't create a fire as long as someone is there pouring water over it.
"I'm not personally involved in the formal part of this, but we have prepared for any given result of this matter. I know our partners have worked on our behalf preparing for what we knew would happen, for example, preparing the legal name copyright and other formal tasks. I'll let the lawyers on both sides argue as much as they want. What is the truth is the truth — and whoever claims otherwise is a false prophet and will be treated accordingly.
"We have reached the conclusion to continue GORGOROTH as a duo because the alternative would be no GORGOROTH at all at this time. King and I have given GORGOROTH content for the last eight years and will bring our art with us into the future. We are already on our way to start a new and improved area of our work. You will, in the following weeks, be presented our agenda to continue to spread true Norwegian black metal through recordings and concerts. We will, with or without the name GORGOROTH, raise the flame higher and brighter than ever.
"The past defines the future, but sometimes you must leave something behind to be able to grow."
