On the 25th day of the 12th month of 2012, the Six-Tongued Hellgoat was summoned to arise from the ashes and bring darkness to this place called POPdose. Join him in his quest.
Ritual Thrust into the Profane Maw of Churning Filth
Album: Ghost B.C., Infestissumam
Label: Loma Vista Recordings
Release: April 16, 2013
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 10/10
It’s been a long time coming but Ghost (now Ghost B.C. at least in the US) are finally releasing the follow up to Opus Eponymous which pretty much made them the most talked about metal band in the universe for a little while. Had they not been loved by many, handpicked by Metallica to be part of the Orion festival and toured the world over for pretty much two years or more, we probably would have seen Infestissumam by now.
In 2012 at one of their concerts, the cross was passed from Papa Emeritus to Papa Emeritus II, to become the “new” Satanic pope and leader of the band. Everyone of course believes it’s the same singer as before. All the other band members continue to be Nameless Ghouls that play with their faces covered and cloaked in black. If you’re a metal fan and haven’t seen a Ghost show, it’s flat out creepy and quite amazing.
Opus Eponymous was a fantastic album with rock and metal riffs blending together with a general message of “worship Satan” from start to finish. Infestissumam shows the group has matured as songwriters both musically and lyrically. Yes, lyrically the underlying message is still the same but the songs tend to tell full stories about characters in the history of Satanism. And musically, the focus isn’t on guitar driven songs, rather the organ is presented front and center as if you are sitting in the church of Satan and each song is a hymn to Lord Belial.
The interesting part about the heavy use of the organ is that Infestissuman therefore becomes a musically lighter record than it’s predecessor. “Body and Blood” is pretty much a pop song, albeit a very well written one, while “Zombie Queen” feels like a ’60s surf rock tune. “Idolatrine” is a downright evil sing-along. There are plenty of metal riffs present too, it’s not like they dropped their heaviness completely, however it should be interesting to see how true fans of metal relate to the new sound. Lyrically it’s just as heavy, in fact maybe heavier than the first album and the two parts together create what may go down as the ultimate hymn to the Master. It’s a pretty brilliant record when you get right down to the core of it. The Hellgoat whips all six tongues towards the sheer genius of Ghost B.C. Hail Satan.
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Somnolent Regurgitation of the Scrolls of Proselytism
Album: Morgengrau, Extrinsic Pathway
Label: Blind God
Release: April 2, 2013
Genre: Death Metal
Press: Extrinsic Pathway, from Traditional Death Metal foursome Morgengrau [was] released Tuesday April 2, 2013 through Blind God Records. The debut effort from the Austin band features eight tracks of classic death metal in the vein of Pestilence, Asphyx, and Immolation. In other words, Death metal in the early 90s style! Extrinsic Pathway features songs about death, the left hand path, atrocities and war. No politicizing, proselytizing or preaching. Just head banging, double bass and catchy riffs. In the words of the band: ”We play, you fuck yourself up in the pit. Simple.”
The Hellgoat’s Take (8.5/10): Solid. Nothing fancy, just in your face Death Metal with strong vocals and drumming that really stands out. Extrinsic Pathway isn’t just about speed. This crew can write a great song too.
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Album: The Body, Master, We Perish
Label: At A Loss Recordings
Release: April 30, 2013
Genre: Sludge/Doom/Extreme Metal
Press: The newest wave of abhorrence from the nomadic family, Master, We Perish shows The Body’s nihilistic audio terror ever-forward with three new tunes sure to cause birds to fall from the sky and traumatize nonbelievers, once again recorded at Providence, Rhode Island-based Machines with Magnets (Battles, Daughters, Lightning Bolt, Chinese Stars). Blackened bursts of noise-drenched, low-fi doom are fueled by percussionist Lee Buford’s hypnotic, tribal rhythms via thunderous macaroni drums, the melee infiltrated by guitarist/vocalist Chip King’s penetrating vocal screech. The clan also recruited Leslie Weitz (Otesanek), Chrissy Wolpert (Assembly Of Light Choir) and Reba Mitchell (Whore Paint) for vocal contributions throughout the torrid endeavor adding an array of eerie dynamics to the songs. Saddened confessions of mental anguish are ended with a pump of a shotgun, a sludgy foreshadowing of the coming explosion of tortured screams. Feedback and noise erupt into the slow crush and the bellowing of an end to beliefs and an end to these truths…
The Hellgoat’s Take (9/10): The Hellgoat is going nuts over here. With this release, he thinks The Body should be labeled as the heaviest band in the universe. And the great part is that they are heavy and interesting! The three songs on Master, We Perish aren’t just punishing but incredibly unique as well. Lee Buford’s drumming has never been better and while Chip King’s eerie screams are as creepy as ever it’s the electronic tinge of “The Blessed Lay Down and Writhe in Agony and the tribal beats of “Worship” that really carry this record.
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