Editing Gorgoroth (section)

===Controversy in Kraków (2004)===
{{Main article|Black Mass Krakow 2004}}

[[File:Gorgoroth by Christian Misje.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Video shoot for "Carving a Giant", a recreation of the controversial Kraków performance]]

On 1 February 2004, during a concert being recorded for a DVD in [[Kraków, Poland]], the band displayed sheep heads on stakes, a bloodbath of 80 litres of sheep's blood, Satanic symbols, and four naked crucified real-life models on stage. A police investigation took place with allegations of religious offence (which is prosecutable under Polish law) and cruelty to animals.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jonathan Tisdall |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article723414.ece |title=Norwegian black metal band shocks Poland – Aftenposten.no |publisher=Aftenposten.no<! |access-date=10 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309110157/http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article723414.ece |archive-date=9 March 2009 }}</ref> Though these charges were considered, the band was not charged as it was ruled that they were unaware of the fact that what they were doing was illegal, although the concert organiser was eventually fined 10,000 [[Polish złoty|zł]] in 2007 as he knew about it and neither informed the band that it was against the law nor intervened.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://muzyka.onet.pl/10175,1561013,newsy.html |title=Organizator koncertu Gorgoroth skazany! (in Polish) |publisher=Muzyka.onet.pl |access-date=10 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605172352/http://muzyka.onet.pl/10175%2C1561013%2Cnewsy.html |archive-date=5 June 2011 }}</ref> The whole controversy led to the band being dropped from the roster of the Nuclear Blast Tour and the footage of the concert being confiscated by the police.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=33681 |title=GORGOROTH: 'Black Mass In Krakow' DVD May Get Released After All |work=Blabbermouth.net |access-date=10 August 2009}}</ref> Following this controversy – and with Gorgoroth also having achieved a larger degree of worldwide recognition through Nuclear Blast's distribution facilities – the contract between both parties was bilaterally terminated. Gorgoroth further secured a reputation as a band with a vehement anti-[[right-hand path]] agenda, regarding which certain employees in the company were alleged to have felt uneasy due to their own personal beliefs.<ref name="nuclear-blast-dis"/>

After a successful South American tour of Brazil, Chile and Argentina, and a performance at Norway's [[Inferno Festival]], it was announced in April 2004 that drummer Kvitrafn had decided to leave the band.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=21650 |title=GORGOROTH Confirm Drummer's Departure |work=Blabbermouth.net |access-date=10 August 2009}}</ref> For the band's European and [[Central America]]n headlining tours of October and November 2004, drummer Dirge Rep (ex-[[Enslaved (band)|Enslaved]], [[Gehenna (band)|Gehenna]]) and guitarist Teloch ([[Nidingr (band)|Nidingr]]) were recruited.