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GOATESS
Goatess

Svart (2013)
Rating: 8/10

I always thought that doom metal lords Count Raven were one of the genre’s most underrated bands. Maybe it was due to the fact that albums such as Storm Warning (1990) just reeked too much of Black Sabbath, but they were still enjoyable records. And so, it’s great to see Goatess emerge from the shadows, and feature none other than ex-Count Raven frontman Christian “Chritus” Linderson.

Linderson has certainly been busy over the years, fronting doom legends Saint Vitus as well as Lord Vicar, but with the doom metal scene thriving I guess now was the time for Chritus and company to find their own niche among the dreary hordes.

Goatess are very much a Swedish band, rising out of Stockholm, and the sound they make will be something new yet sweetly evil to the ears of doom metal fans. For those of you rather numbed by the overly long compositions being churned out over the last few years by numerous stoner bands, Goatess offer something slightly different, especially in those buzzing, psyched out riffs and sinister drum plods.

Fans of the recent Victor Griffin’s In-Graved and The Hounds Of Hasselvander records will find themselves drowning in the 70s-inspired swirls of album opener ‘Know Your Animal’, which creeps along like something off a Ghost opus, while ‘Alpha Omega’ is a churning serpent of a track that heaves itself skywards on a fuzzy doom-laden riff and prehistoric drum plod. Chritus’ vocals are nothing spectacular. but he’s very much from that old school of doom rock; his whines squirming out from his blackened soul.

The album may only boast eight tracks, but each one is a creaking monolith that weighs an absolute ton. ‘Ripe’ keeps the ears ringing long after it has bedded itself down in its foetid pit, and Chritus’ cries are mournful as the oozing guitar fluffs up the ears. But the album’s pivotal track is the jaunty ‘Full Moon At Noon’, which is brisk in its drum and infectious with its rhythm. Again the guitar is an accessible buzz until the track takes a timely breather, evoking images of 70s psychedelia and lava lamp blues.

The band also displays a sense of sensitivity with the atmospheric ‘Oracle Part 1: The Mist’; Chritus’ vocals are more of a distant echo over the tinkling guitars and sporadic drums. But the second instalment of ‘Oracle…’ is a different affair completely, as it rises from the speakers like a grey wave, turning, churning as the bass prods deep and drum slows to an elephantine march.

This is how doom should sound, reminding me to quote the band’s website, which states: “Evil should not sound this good”. But clearly Goatess have found a niche, bridging the gap between oaken doom metal from the late 70s and early 80s and today’s occult rock influences. The mighty 11-minute ‘King One’ is a prime example of such mischievous melancholy, as well as 12-minute album closer ‘Tentacle Of Zen’, which somehow injects Eastern mysticism into its dark heart.

Nothing beats a bit of authentic doom metal, especially when it’s heavy, but not for the sake of it. There’s something natural and free about Goatess, even as they spin their wicked web and entice us with that hypnotic buzz.

Neil Arnold

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