Goatwhore - Vengeful Ascension

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The bastard sons of New Orleans, Louisiana (USA) are back for one more blasphemy, spawning Hell’s fury on a massive Thrash/Death/Black Metal strike. Yes, GOATWHORE is back after three years, since the release of “Constricting Rage of the Merciless”. These maniacs are unleashing their satanic rites on “Vengeful Ascension”, their new album. Their main style is the same: that fusion of elements of Thrash Metal and Death Metal in the Old School format on an aggressive and raw way of Black Metal. The result, as you can expect, is a personal way of doing excellent and nasty music. But to those ones with more experience on their shoulders will hear some very good melodies shaping the harmonic work of the band. But the more important to the greater part of the fans is to know: is it a good album or not? My answer is very simple: it’s very fucking good album!

The greater difference between the quartet and many of their colleagues of a similar style is the only one: their sound production. Yes, the production, because GOATWHORE uses an understandable sound quality, allowing the fans to comprehend their work, but always with a nasty and brutal insight. So we can assume that Jarrett Pritchard (recording), Chris Common (on mixing) and Maor Appelbaum (on mastering) did a fine job.

“Vengeful Ascension” is excellent, with all songs being great, showing the album as the band’s finest moment. But you can have as an initial reference the following songs: the total hardcorized blow called “Under the Flesh, Into the Soul” with its nasty guitar riffs and fine shrieked vocals (where you can hear clearly the influence of VENOM and BATHORY on their work), the nightmare called music of “Vengeful Ascension” (with fine work from bass guitar and drums, guiding the rhythm into a chaos between fast and slow moments), the brutal and filthy grasp of “Chaos Arcane” (this one a fast song, with excellent vocals) and “Where the Sun is Silent” (somber and slow, you’ll hear a great work from guitars), the two hardcore merciless attacks on “Drowned in Grim Rebirth” and on “Mankind Will Have No Mercy” (both with fine work from bass and guitars on the hooking tempos), and the artifacts of mass destruction and breaking necks heard on “Decayed Omen Reborn” and “Those Who Denied God’s Will”.

The band is really great in this moment, so listen to and buy “Vengeful Ascension”, and be prepared for the apocalypse!

Originality: 8
Songwriting: 10
Memorability: 9
Production: 10