This isn’t quite how I’d imagined Goatwhore would sound. Though the name has been floating around for a number of years, this promotional download is the first I’ve heard of this Louisiana troupe, and to be honest I thought they were going to be a tad heavier.
That modern American sound was something I hadn’t expected to hear; probably because they’ve been lumbered with the questionable Black/Death tag for all this time, and while the Americanised riffs are a very prominent part of their sound, the side of the band which sets them apart from the rest of the pack is their glaringly obvious Black Metal influences. Admittedly I don’t listen to any of the new breed of American bands, because I find the entire scene incredibly bland and unmoving. Goatwhore however, retain the hooks and catchy melodies, and defuse them with a degree of melancholy - and in many cases Black riffage. Now that I can listen to!
‘Apocalyptic Havoc’ was my introduction to the band, throwing me off a touch with its accessible riffs of US vigour. Things become more interesting when ‘The All Destroying’ blasts in with what I can only describe as a ‘diet Urgehal’ riff. Somehow these two very different sounds are spliced successfully, constituting a much more interesting song.
The title track follows along these lines too, though applying steady streams of sorrowful melodies amidst the solid chugging, and even a slightly 80’s Sammy Duet solo. The many hooks of ‘The Shadow of a Rising Knife’ are incredibly infectious, and are indeed prone to locking themselves in the depths of your cranium for hours on end. You’ll probably appreciate it though. I went a step further with ‘Razor Flesh Devoured’ however, blasting the drum rhythm out in auto pilot over the dinner table as the Black tinged tune whizzed by in my mind...yes there were glares aplenty!
However much the band like to infuse Scandinavia into their music, this is still largely a record screaming of modern America. This, depending on your taste, isn’t a good or bad thing, but it does mean that people (like yours truly) who wouldn’t normally be able to sit through one of these modern day records, is able to appreciate certain aspects of the compositions and not moan profusely about how soulless the sound waves are.
http://www.goatwhore.net
http://www.myspace.com/goatwhore
http://www.metalblade.com
