Black Goat
Review: Although a groaning black metal vocal accompanies this music in a style similar to that of Attila of Tormentor with less melodic emphasis on the later tracks, the core of this work is evil music in the "heavy metal" style of a more precise, articulated Venom or NME. Like heaving beasts of the night these anthems invade, state their themes and cycle them, and then vanish in the same blaze of madness that brought them.
Sensible in the style of NWOBHM-inspired structural riffing that Blitzkrieg and Diamond Head did brilliantly, this release uses rhythmic emphasis in precise guitar leads to thrust forward rhythm and timbre of distorted, gnarled, sensual sound. Budget riffing and the rockstar form of heavy metal "stadium epic" structural conclusions aid this release toward gaining power, but never fully articulate more than a consistent mood of darkness with inventive but playful negativity.
Bluesy leads permeate parts of this album and friendly rhythms bounce along a pocket-fulfilling tempo pattern of emphasis on dominant syllables as driven by hoarse-throated vocals, yet modern black metal technique is fundamental to many songs and atmosphere is maintained, while consistently as a product of the rock influence on this work, dynamic in tone and rhythmic motion. Unorganized concept and old-school sense of theme and culmination will make this band underknown in the current time while their grinding darkened heavy metal will inspire many of the older generation of black metal aesthetics.