Goatkraft - Sulphurous Northern Bestiality

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The influences of SARCÓFAGO in the earlier Black Metal scenes from Europe and USA are sensible every time when names as BLASPHEMY, GRAND BELIAL’S KEY, BEHERIT and IMPALED NAZARENE are remembered. But a great difference is that these bands tried a lot to create their musical personality in the middle of many limitations from those days. There are many bands that follow this same genre keeping its original features with good results, but the Norwegian GOATKRAFT needs to improve some more, for “Sulphurous Northern Bestiality” is a fine example of how things are when the wrong way is chosen.

Their musical work is not so bad, but it lacks of personality. It reminds me of albums such as “Oath of the Black Blood”, “I.N.R.I.” and “Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz…”, as the band members were recording their sessions for fun. Yes, it’s that primordial, nasty and raw form of playing Black/Death Metal, but without trying to sound like them. That’s the main problem: the lack of an identity.  The sound quality is not so bad. It sounds raw and crude in a way that desperately tries to emulate what was done between 1987 and 1990. Of course this way has its fans, but the producer tried a lot to make the sound quality understandable. It’s not the best that their music deserves, but it works in the way it is. The problem resides when the songs are playing…

It’s not bad, but they didn’t make efforts to sound like they are, but how others were. And it’s a pity, because on songs as “Hordes of Damnation” (good guitar riffs), “Bestial Desecration” (that shows nasty and simple tempos), “Spell of Black Pestilence” (the tempos are not so extreme in some moments, a fine feature that could be used more times), “Blasphemous Sulphur Oppression” (in some moments, it reminded a lot what is hear on SARCÓFAGO’s “Desecration of the Virgin”), and “Volcanic Orthodox Necromancy” (very good grunts, but less sound effects would present best results) are showing evidence that they can do better than this cloning that is presented on “Sulphurous Northern Bestiality”. And three intros are a boring experience, for it’s not an old horror film, but a Black Metal album.

Better luck on the next time…

Originality: 4
Songwriting: 5
Memorability: 6
Production: 5