Goatwhore - Carving Out the Eyes of God
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Artist: GoatwhoreBrand: GOATWHORE
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2009-06-23
Music Label: Metal Blade
Free Music Notes for Carving Out the Eyes of God
Free Music Review: An album as good as good as its name is ugly
Hit: 5 Stars
Goatwhore have always had a career based on routine. Ever since forming at the turn of the century, they have consistently kicked out new material every three years. Prior to 2009, there was 2000's promising debut "Eclipse Of Age Into Black," 2003's "Funeral Dirge For The Rotting Sun," and 2006's "A Haunting Curse." Also, they are a side-project of Soilent Green, and thus have always had to gather together, write new material, and go on tour during the downtime in between that band's releases. However, it has only recently has it become apparent Goatwhore have established a new trend: Outdoing themselves. Indeed, they make it a point to make each effort better than the last one. The aforementioned "A Haunting Curse," was the band's breakthrough, and stands out as being exceptional in the black metal community. But frontman Ben Falgoust and Co. have bested it with 2009's "Carving Out The Eyes Of God," which, frankly speaking, is pretty friggin' grrrreat!
So, this album is proof of the fact that Goatwhore make it a point to make each effort better than the last one, and now sound stronger than ever. But "COTEOG" is different in another way, too, because it starts to adopts a few new (and immediately noticeable) ingredients. One big difference is an immaculate production job. True, many black metal purists will probably call it a sell-out, but technically speaking, those people who hurl such allegations at the probably should have done so as soon as the contract with a fairly big label (Metal Blade) was drawn up. But when the result is this good, who gives a flying flip about that?! And this record may indeed sound more polished than most in the genre, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The production quality is crisp and cystal-clear, making it so every member of the band can be heard really well in the mix, and making the songs sound very unique, full, interesting, muscular, and well-rounded. Falgoust's signature black metal rasp is visceral (yet not overly so) and intelligible; the guitars are given a mighty tasty, heavy, and thicker-than-usual tone; and the drums are up-in-the-mix and not-at-all muddy.
Next, unlike before, the bassist is actually audible this time around (!). Nathan Bergeron (Soilent Green, ex-Paralysis) chips in with occasionally noteworthy bass work that help to beef-up the bottom-end while simultaneously making it less sludgy and more distinct. And finally, the inclusion of guitar solos are an unexpected delight because they are a worthy addition's to the band's already-scorching arsenal, and help to give some of the songs a bit of an epic vibe.
Other than those three things, though, business is the same as usual. The music is still influenced mostly by old-school-esque blackened death and thrash metal, but like always, there are plenty of crusty punk, grind and hardcore, groove metal, doom metal, sludge, and stoner rock elements mixed in here, too. Taking on a brutal and no-holds-barred attack that truly pushes the sonic envelope and all boundaries to the max, these ten songs are full to the gills with white hot speeds, blood-pumping vitriol, corrosive energy, and vein-bursting intensity. Which is thanks in a large part to the six-stringer, Sammy Duet, who leads the charge by constantly laying down searing guitar leads and deftly reeling off one monstrous pile of killer, savage, and imminently memorable riffage after another. Meanwhile, the rhythms are rip-roaring, and anchored by skinsman Zack Simmons (also of Nachtmystium), who relentlessly pummels away at his trapkit with grinding blasts, and free-flowing thrash beats. His style of playing may not be the most complex you'll hear, but it is more-than powerful enough to get the job done. Finally, it's all topped off by downtuned, grumbling bass lines.
The addictive, propulsive, and mosh-pit-ready "Apocalyptic Havoc" blows the starting gate open with great, barn-burning riffing, charging rhythms, rapid-fire drums, venomous vocals, chugging breakdowns, and a good, Motorhead-ish guitar solo. Its successor, "The All-Depressing" is built around impeccable, pummeling jackhammer-fast blasting and a solid bass bottom; but Ben Falgoust slips in a few vocal hooks and catchy choruses that add a surprising amount of accessibility to the song. The pounding title track is backed by heavy, lumbering rhythms, and monstrous death metal vocals. Also of note are some guitar harmonies and a surprisingly ripping solo that crop up near the end.
Then the listener is thrown a couple of curveballs. "Shadow Of A Rising Knife" is a rather unexpectedly moderately-paced, groove-oriented number with a Motorhead-esque vibe, and classic metal and hard rock influences (including two Eighties thrash-esque solos). Falgoust's vocals, however, are as extreme as ever: He trades off between low death metal growls, textbook hardcore barks, imitating Carcass' Jeff Walker, and spewing venom like Darkthrone's Nocturno Culto. And the record's centerpiece, "Provoking The Ritual Of Death," with is superbly ominous, brooding, and doomy atmosphere, is a well-written and well-placed monotony breaker. and a somewhat of a curveball to the listener. It does have occasional tempo pick-ups and grindcore-worthy vocals, but most of the tune is very creepy and crawling.
"In Legions, I Am Wars Of Wrath" roars back at full force and volume. It begins as a blistering, carnage-inducing assault, but then (around the halfway point) segues into a sludgy and plodding segment with hardcore-style breakdowns and spoken word vocal lines that evoke Pantera's Phil Anselmo. "Reckoning Of The Soul Made Godless" is a hard, deeply-grooving thrasher backed by tasty, chunky, headbangable guitar hooks an ominously low, humming bass line. Tracks eight and nine, "This Passing Into The Power Of Demons" and "Razor Flesh Devoured," are similar in that they are both "Blizzard Beasts"-era Immortal reminiscent noggin-busters, and both have excellent, ear-frying, fretboard-sparking riffs and speedy drumming throughout. Finally, the curiously-named "To Mourn And Forever Wander Through Forgotten Doorways" is the hair-raising set closer. It is a steady, slow-burning number highlighted by a crawling tempo, a really cool, unique, and spine-tingling opening bass line, and even (what-sounds-like) tribal percussion. It hits gains some energy and hits its peak around 2:50 in, but then comes its outro, which is again calm and docile (and keyboard-abetted!).
There's no question about it, "Carving Out The Eyes Of God" is Goatwhore's watershed release. And, not only that, but it is also proof that these New Orleans, Louisiana-based monsters stand pretty much alone atop blackened death-thrash mountain. Three word paraphrase: This thing slays.
Carving Out the Eyes of God Poster
2009 from the Black Metal band. Upon the release of A Haunting Curse, Goatwhore's 2006 Metal Blade Records debut, the Metal world was introduced to a new evil partnership between the Gods of Rock and the Overlords of Metal. Their pedigree undeniable, Goatwhore embarked on a massive mission of destruction that did not stop until they had played every Metal stage in the U.S. and Canada, large and small. Accolades from magazines, Metal sites, their peers and, most importantly, the fans set the foundation for the band's triumphant return with Carving Out The Eyes Of God.Hard Rock & Metal Music CDs
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