GORGOROTH's Sold-Out Concert In El Salvador Ends In Riot

Norwegian black metallers GORGOROTH made headlines in major Latin American newspapers after the audience rioted at their show in San Salvador (capital of El Salvador) on Saturday (Nov. 6). According to a posting on the band's web site, "the audience got so ecstatic over the presence of the first black metal act visiting their country that the situation got totally out of control. The security and the police could not handle the people outside the venue so they had to call in the special forces, 'del cuerpo de Proteccion a Personalides Importantes' (PPI). When the PPI reached the venue the masses of people not getting a ticket for the already sold-out show kicked in the entrance door and lots of fighting between the audience began. The audience started to kick in doors and toilets, several injuries occured and major damages to the venue. The PPI decided in the end to use gas on the audience to get the situation under control. When GORGOROTH entered the stage 30 security people had to be on stage preventing the audience to enter it. The fighting [continued] through GORGOROTH's performance and the PPI and the police had to hold the audience inside the venue with firearms to get the band in safety. GORGOROTH [walked away] from the incident without any injuries."

GORGOROTH drew international attention in early February after they were accused of "offending religious feelings" during a concert in Poland. The band were also suspected of breaching the Polish law on protection of animals by displaying the severed and impaled heads of sheep as part of their stage act.