GOAT FUNERAL – Bastion Lucifer CD
Monokulturell Productions
When I did a Google search trying to find some more info on this German band the first search answer I got was a website for a book of poems by Christopher Bakkin from Sheep Meadow Press. After I took a shower (wouldn't you) I continued on and found nothing more than I already knew. GOAT FUNERAL hail from Germany and are a duo consisting of Von Blutsteyn on vocals (more on that one later) and Isaac Goaten who plays guitar and is in charge of the computerized instrument programming. Bastion Lucifer is their full length debut but in 2008 they did a split with DIES FYCK. On that release they contributed five songs the highlight being the one titled “Goat Funeral Says Fuck You, Please”. Thankfully this one is much more mature in song titling but their sympathies or lack there of haven’t changed at all.
The first thing which caught my surprise about this act is that they’re German and actually play German Black Metal. Regular readers of Scumfeast Metal 666, and frankly who isn’t, will remember my consistent jab at German BM bands who copy the styles of the Norwegian blackened brothers. I can see a little influence but to be a full blown DARKTHRONE wannabe is kinda silly especially in 2010. German Black Metal is somewhat close to what the Swedes do. It’s in your face loud like a blitzkrieg wall of noise attack. The vocals are pure tormenting screams. Von Blutsteyn is perfect is his performance of over the top wails of pain. His vocals are an assault on your senses. I’d say his vocal mix is too much up front and overpowering. Even your most war torn BM fan will scream “stop I can’t take his voice anymore” after multiple listens. Yes that’s a good thing because sometimes you need to thin the heard.
Another point which distinguishes German BM from the rest is their symphonic or what I call the Wagner effect. It’s not that they use keyboards but it’s the whole atmosphere in which they are laid out. For example some people will have a parade and afterwards head to a bar for drinks. On the other hand with Germans they’re invade a country and take it over. To put it mildly the atmospheric use of the keyboard programming by Isaac Goaten on here is at times subtle as a jack boot to the head and grandiose as a tank battalion crossing the border. The song “Church of Genosuicide” is a perfect example of grand symphonic beauty bringing forth some latter BATHORY influence amidst the brutality. The main weapon, aside from Von Blutsteyn who does sound like a young Shagrath, is Goaten’s tremolo strummed rhythms which are as sharp as knives. If anything there’s a slight EMPEROR influence which is cool and clearly evident on songs like “Why I Hate the Fruit” and the awesomeness of “Goat – Fuck – Perversion”. After a few listens you’ll feel like you’ve been invaded, plundered and now occupied by an oppressor. Sounds great where do I sign up?
Label: http://www.monokulturell.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment