This version of Full of Hell is more committed to one interpretation of their sound than before. This is the type of sound that some reviewers might be tempted to call “matured”. That phrase is usually a hack word for a reviewer so he can sell the idea to you that a band doing less is somehow good. But our Goat’s no hack and he’s got a lust for grind…
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Bongripper – Empty Review
Something draws our Goat to Bongripper. Something in his hooves demands revisiting their work and only with deep rooted meditation (sometimes with the aid of the very same herb that Bongripper seem to enjoy indulging in) can he find the reason why: it’s not weed. Or is it? Either way, the forecast is hazy.
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Maere – …and the Universe Keeps Silent Review
The best works of dissonant avant-garde metal shed the harmonic framework of power chords, blues scales and chord-scale approaches to soloing to explore something else. Maere, however, do not manage the feat of deconstruction, an approach that, after the old structures have broken down, needs something additional in the new space. That is to say, the fancy prance of a young buck isn’t always enough to sway our Goat.
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The Vision Bleak – Weird Tales Review
Scuttlegoat has been a fan of The Vision Bleak for decades at this point. Their unique style of gothic metal inspired by the classic era of Universal horror films masterfully melds the usual overbearing cheese of the genre with an unusual crushing guitar tone. Is the forecast for the new album looking bleak?
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BRUTALISM – Solace in Absurdity Review
BRUTALISM seem like they are committed to making quality brutal death metal. The band knows how to groove and how to construct riffs and manages to walk the tightrope between skronky technicality and groove with ease. But will our resident goat find solace in this brutal death metal?
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Venomous Echoes – Split Formations and Infinite Mania Review
Morbid Angel, Howls of Ebb, Esoctrilihum, Portal and Ulthar all are imitated during individual sections of Split Formations And Infinite Mania and Venomous Echoes usually do so in a tasteful manner, straddling the line between inspiration and pastiche overall rather successfully. I have heard all of this better elsewhere, but the combination and variety is pleasant, even at the risk of turning into needle drop death metal.
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Saturday Night Satan – All Things Black Review
All Things Black is more early Ghost than The Devil’s Blood and more Scooby Doo than it is The Omen. Something about the songs can be quite catchy and a lot of it sits in guilty pleasure territory. Deplorable or delicious, or both?
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Crypts of the Unknown: Bound and Gagged – Fornicate the Gutted
Have you ever come across an album that you enjoy, but seemingly no other human in existence knows about it? Or maybe an album that ticks all the boxes in a style that doesn’t get a lot of love? Oh, and of course, you’ve found this album long after it would have mattered to help the band spread the word… or perhaps it’s just your dirty little secret… Join us as Scuttlegoat reminisces on Bound and Gagged’s 2002 release Fornicate the Gutted. It may not be perfect, but how would you know?
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Wounds – Ruin Review
Fast runs, hairpin turns and extended harmonies, Wounds does it rather competently, making my head nod during select moments and my foot tap throughout. But some albums are harder to review than others.
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Crypts of the Unknown: Bergraven – Det Framlidna Minnet
