Goats of Doom - Tie on Hänen Omilleen (2020)

Aside from the cringey name, Goats of Doom hails from Finland and it is ready to kick some ass with their high-octane Black Metal that reminds us of the melodic brilliance of Catamenia. Unleashing over 35 minutes of frosty music, the band does a great job in crafting intricate melodies that are just perfect for headbanging on a nice cold winter night.

Kicking off with the catchiness of “Mustan Unen Äiti”, the album sets a very intense and yet melodic tone that is rare to find these days. The epic guitar leads and hash vocal perfectly blend as the pace intensifies and the riffs continue to rip through our speakers. Avoiding repetition, the band’s track have blistering tempo changes and crafty drumming to keep things interesting when contrasted by slower paced passages with clean vocals and folky/pagan Metal vibes, on tracks like “Kuolonkorjaaja” and “Sinne Mihin Valheet Ei Yllä”.

The blistering intensity of the riffing of some tracks is nicely offsetted by more melodic pieces like our favorite “Vakaumus ja Kuolema” and its dark and gloomy vibe. With even some Black’n’Roll elements, other tracks like “Veren Veljeskunta” and “Tie on Hänen Omilleen” have a very lively and party like mood, allowing this release to weave back and forth between levels of intensity and moods, making it a unique listening experience.

As the band closes the release with the frosty “Aamen”, we are left quite impressed with the quality of their music and the fact that the band is not more well known outside of Finland. If you are a fan of bands like Catamenia and Illnath, be sure to check out Goats of Doom and their groovy guitar driven Black Metal aural assaults.

Label: Purity Through Fire

Release: January 31st, 2020

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Finland