Four years have passed since Norwegian death metallers Goat The Head first unleashed their self-described brand of cave metal out onto the world, yet with this second full-length effort it seems that there are a few musical issues which could use more work. Interestingly, in the case of a death metal band, these lie more with frontman Per Spjøtvold’s vocals than any other element of the sound.
Despite their apparent leanings as a comedy-influenced band, as the prehistoric theme suggests, it must be said that Goat The Head display strong musicianship together. ‘Uncanny Valley Clan,’ ‘Salt’ and ‘Stirring the Enigmatic Appetite’ are good examples of this as the thunderous, monolithic drumming and solid guitar riffs are strong enough to stand out. In turn, one could presume that it’s with this part of the music nailed down that the group have chosen to explore where else they could go with the rest of their atmosphere.
On what seems to be a live track on the album albeit placed around the beginning rather than the end, third song ‘This Tube Is the Gospel’ features not only clean, female R’n'B-esque vocals but an attempt on Spjøtvold’s part to play around with his own sound. Even though it feels like a relatively decent effort here, it’s this decision to experiment that brings on the down points throughout much of the album. This is most noticeable when it sounds as if he is actually rapping along in his gravelly, full-throated vocals – at one point mimicking the funk pattern of Anthony Kiedis. Although it could arguably be for comedic effect, as the thought of a bestial caveman rapping is enough to get more than a few chuckles out of anyone, the end result is that it doesn’t really work. True, there is clearly no rule against performing at a fast pace if you’re a harsh vocalist. However in this case, it feels as if Goat The Head have brought us a reminder of how not to go about it, even if you just want to dick around with your friends in the studio.
3/10
ANN S
