ITP REVIEW: GOATWHORE: CARVING OUT THE EYES OF GOD

BAND: GOATWHORE (NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA-USA) GENRE: BLACKENED/DEATH METAL LABEL: METAL BLADE RECORDS RELEASE DATE: 6/23/09
PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG) : A HAUNTING CURSE (2006-METAL BLADE RECORDS), FUNERAL DIRGE FOR A ROTTING SUN (2003-ROTTEN RECORDS), EPOCH OF UNLIGHT/GOATWHORE SPLIT (2003-BLOATED GOAT), THE ECLIPSE OF AGES INTO BLACK (2000-ROTTEN RECORDS), SERENADES TO THE TIDES OF BLOOD (DEMO-1998)

BEST RELEASE(S): A HAUNTING CURSE (2006), FUNERAL DIRGE FOR A ROTTING SUN (2003)
TRACKLISTING : GOATWHORE: CARVING OUT THE EYES OF GOD:
01. Apocalyptic Havoc
02. The All-Destroying
03. Carving Out The Eyes Of God
04. Shadow Of A Rising Knife
05. Provoking The Ritual Of Death
06. In Legions, I Am Wars Of Wrath
07. Reckoning Of The Soul Made Godless
08. This Passing Into The Power Of Demons
09. Razor Flesh Devoured
10. To Mourn And Forever Wander Through Forgotten Doorways

ITP RATING: *** 1/2

PRODUCTION: ****

SONGWRITING: *** 1/2

PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2

New Orleans, Louisiana native sons GOATWHORE are a super group originally featuring members of ACID BATH, CROWBAR and SOILENT GREEN as all three bands are well established and innovative in the extreme metal scene. GOATWHORE differ from band members primary projects as this NOLA band approach extreme metal from a blackened stand point, invoking an
anti religious, "thrash 'em in black", poking God in the eye with yer gauntlets as an ultimate spit in the face to the bible belt.
Blackened/thrash or blackened death metal is a an interesting concept and not as simply as it sounds in theory. Few bands can invoke the dark atmosphere of death metal into the primitive aspects of black metal as blackened thrash in it's primitive sensibilities can be often overlooked. The ideal of blackened thrash or blackened death metal is too invoke a dark atmosphere, but primal sensibility without being too technical. Older material from VITAL REMAINS (USA), anything from PORTAL (AUS), ANAAL NATHRAKH (UK) would be good examples of blackened death metal as blackened thrash or norse core is a quite common concept in black metal.
So, get out some Jack Daniels and get ready for some Southern Fried blackened thrash as ITP has GOATWHORE's latest release "Carving Out The Eyes Of God" on deck to review.
GOATWHORE's "Carving Out The Eyes Of God" kicks off with the track entitled "Apocalyptic Havoc" as this indeed is a brutal thrash attack, as Sammy Duet adds a solo here and there, as the energy on this tune invokes pure SLAYER, HELLHAMMER and VENOM worship, total old school, first wave, 80's black metal, enough to get a good pit going. I had to throw up the metal horns (\m/ \m/) when Ben Falgoust II, screams, "Who needs God, when you've got Satan."
"The All-Destroying" invokes, for starters, an Scandinavian first wave, black metal atmosphere of yore, before the tune takes off into a thrash aesthetic. However, the drums are low in the mix.
The title track of "CARVING OUT THE EYES OF GOD" invokes a death metal atmosphere, heavier, with, for starters, some generic death vox from Falgoust, . At :48 seconds
of "Carving Out The Eyes Of God" the band diversifies the atmosphere with some melody, underrated double bass drumming and blast beats. Good tune..
"Shadow Of A Rising Knife" kicks off with pure primitive thrash, perhaps played not nearly as tight as GOATWHORE's black and thrash metal contemporaries. "Shadow Of A Rising Knife" segues into blast beats, death vox and some good solos at at 2:14.
"Provoking The Ritual Of Death" kicks off pompous, and heavy, as the band invoke a death metal, brutal, groove. "Provoking The Ritual Of Death" morphs at :39 seconds into a black and roll groove with generic death vox, into good death metal riffing.."Provoking The Ritual Of Death" segues into a sludgy/doom riff at 3:20, damn good, me likes this tune.
"In Legions, I Am Wars Of Wrath" invokes a black and roll/thrash atmosphere, a total primitive warrior credo at mid pace until 1:17 of said tune, when GOATWHORE step it up a notch with some blastbeats, and light melodic riffing, and back to a mid paced, melancholic atmosphere with solos. Good.
"Reckoning Of The Soul Made Godless" invokes again, more raw, blackened thrash with an old school hardcore back beat, enough to open up a raging pit.
"This Passing Into The Power Of Demons" is yet another powerhouse of blackened thrash differing not much from the previous tune.
"Razor Flesh Devoured" invokes a more specific black metal feel with melodic riffing back and forth with blastbeats and an occasional mid tempo.
GOATHWHORE's "Carving Out The Eyes Of God" closes with the tune entitled "To Mourn And Forever Wander Through Forgotten Doorways" with it's beautiful, low toned acoustic intro as the same riff segues into melodic, electric guitar for a powerful sludge/black metal tune as the song ends where it started, with the acoustic outro.
While GOATWHORE are bringing nothing new or innovative to the black metal or blackened death genres, the band may be a gateway to the more substantial bands in it's sub genre. It is a guarantee that each member of GOATWHORE's original or primary projects are more substantial (ACID BATH, SOILENT GREEN (old), NACHTMYSTIUM, CROWBAR).
GOATWHORE are a throwback to the 1st wave of black metal (VENOM, CELTIC FROST, HELLHAMMER) paying homage to their old heroes, bringing back the speed, and drunken anti christian blasphemy with simple, brutal tunes to this extreme metal genre.
However, you've probably heard this before, perhaps better executed from both the first and second wave of black metal compared to what GOATWHORE has to offer as you would expect more from this super group.
Zach Simmons (EX NACHTMYSTIUM), and James Harvey (EX RITUAL KILLER) have joined GOATWHORE's ranks bringing a versatility to the bands rhythm section.
ERIK RUTAN (HATE ETERNAL, EX MORBID ANGEL) produced GOATWHORE's "Carving Out The Eyes Of God" and while the release is no classic, the production is above average, a good kick in the teeth of heaviness and power, reproducing the bands live intensity.
Very much like the NOLA delicacy "gumbo", one would think GOATWHORE would have all the ingredients, death, black and thrash metal to make everyone happy, hmm..
GOATWHORE are more on the retro blackened thrash side, as "Carving Out The Eyes Of God" only on occasion is adventurous enough to consolidate blackened death metal cohesively. However, ERIC RUTAN's production has brought out the best in GOATWHORE guitarist Sammy Duet, as Duet goes balls out on the bands latest release with some good, if not redundant thrash riffing and even some wammy bar solos.

Despite the releases awkward title ( a damn Latin dictionary is in order), GOATWHORE's "Carving Out The Eyes Of God" is a retro throwback to the simple days of blackened thrash before black metal became trendy for hipsters.
So now you know what you were missing.
:Gets out Gauntlets and bullet belts:

ITP RATING: *** 1/2

PRODUCTION: ****

SONGWRITING: *** 1/2

PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-