In our latest instalment of Where the Fuck Did All The Time Go? we discover it’s already been twenty-five years since the emergence of Louisiana blackened thrash/death outfit Goatwhore. Formed by guitarist Sammy Duet after the break-up of his previous band, legendary sludge lords Acid Bath, the band’s history can actually be traced back to 1991 when they were known as Kill Gore up until 1997 after Acid Bath, er… dissolved.
With Soilent Green vocalist Ben Falgoust at Duet’s side, Goatwhore have gone from strength to strength, delivering album after punishing album of anti-religious, satanic nihilism, the band’s latest record, Angels Hung From the Arches of Heaven (Metal Blade) showing no signs of slowing down or compromise. Aided by drummer Zack Simmons and more recently acquired bassist Robert “Trans Am” Coleman, Goatwhore’s eighth full-length studio release is every bit as unrelentingly savage as you would expect, albeit more refined and precise than the enthusiastic rawness of their earlier years.
Setting the scene with cold blackened atmospherics, ‘Invocation 3’ serves as an appropriately dark introduction before the frenzy of riffs and blast-beats that make up ‘Born of Satan’s Flesh’ and the darkly melodic ‘The Bestowal Of Abomination’, the existential and religious musings of the title track employing a more methodically paced attack on the senses.
Venturing into Sabaton territory, (thematically speaking anyway), the upbeat but aggressive ‘Death From Above’ is based on the story of the “Nachthexen” or “Night Witches”, a female bomber division from the Soviet Union during WWII. Tracks like ‘Ruinous Liturgy’, ‘Voracious Blood Fixation’, ‘The Devil’s Warlords’ and ‘Nihil’ offer up a vicious assault of brutal thrash metal while ‘Victory Is The Lightning Of Destruction’ adds a splash of Motörhead into the mix.
The magnificent ‘Weight Of A Soulless Heart’ pulses with a beautifully blackened Satyricon influence while closing cut ‘And I Was Delivered From The Wound Of Perdition’ saves the best till last with a quiet but sinister intro and a purposeful, demonic groove backed by early Dimmu Borgir-style keys before erupting into classic Norwegian black metal riffery.
From brutal breakdowns to slashing tremolo picking, every song on Angels Hung From the Arches of Heaven is possessed of a fierce groove and maniacal intent. Another collection of venomous yet catchy riffs, a rhythm section straight from the seventh circle of hell, and vocals which sound like what it must be like to chew razor-blades while standing on Lego.
Another flawless victory from one of the underground’s true leaders.
Buy the album here: http://metalblade.com/
8 / 10
GARY ALCOCK