Goatwhore – Constricting Rage of the Merciless



What do you call a band that just gets better and better?  I call them Goatwhore.  I mean, are you kidding me with this new album?  They made some comments about getting back to harder, more crushing stuff, and I wondered what they were talking about.   They've never pussied out like Metallica or anything.  They've always been plenty heavy, plenty evil and plenty brutal for my tastes.  Yeah, I'm a fanboy, I've got, like, 3 Goatwhore hoodies and probably 6 t-shirts, but tell me I'm wrong about this.  The great thing to me about this band is that they have literally slogged it out earning one fan at a time.  They put out great albums and then they tour relentlessly and just destroy every stage they ever appear on.  What more can you ask?

This new album just crushes from the first note of the first song.  They have this black/death/thrash hybrid that they have been refining for years and it sounds phenomenal.  Erik Rutan has recorded them once again and it is a very fruitful partnership.  This was recorded mostly in analog and you can hear the warmth of it in every note.  The band lineup has been steady for a few years now and you can always tell when a band plays together a lot.  There is nothing like hearing a band that is completely in sync and seems to know what they are all going to play before they even play it.  That is exactly what they sound like on this album.

There are certain tracks on the album that I really enjoy.  “Baring Teeth For Revolt” starts out sounding almost like a straight up rock song, but quickly moves off into much heavier territory.  Its the kind of song that makes you want to move, as in the pit, as in going nuts while the band is tearing it up on stage.  “Cold Earth Consumed In Dying Flesh” is about as much of a changeup as you'll get from this band.  A little slower of tempo with an actual atmospheric sounding intro, it is a little more black metal leaning than anything else they've done in a while and shows off their versatility.  It's also one of the longest songs I can remember them doing.  “FBS” is another one that just kicks it into high gear from the outset, almost sounding like Motorhead on speed (oh wait) and just thrashing away beautifully.

It's great to see a band work hard and be rewarded, especially in the musical climate in which we live in 2014.  I love that these guys keep raising the bar, keep putting out great music and most definitely keep taking the stage and leaving a smoking crater behind.  I truly pity any band that has to follow these guys.  In a time when many metal bands rely so much on technology that they can't really pull of a decent live show, it is truly refreshing to see a band like Goatwhore.  They have worked their asses off and I salute them for their efforts.  In my book they are one of the great metal bands out there right now and they deserve all the success and accolades that come their way.  

 - ODIN





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