Please welcome this very awesome new band called Year Of The Goat. I have no idea where they’re from, since biographical information is missing, plus there’s nothing to be found on the internet concerning these ‘retro’ rockers. I read that Griftegard members may be involved, but I can’t say for sure. Possibly it’s the same singer? 

 

 I can’t help myself but I’m a very happy guy this Spring music wise. I’m a very happy guy to start with, and I have my top ten of 2011 almost ready J. And it’s only April 2011, mind you. Graveyard is of course top two material, and Arbouretum hasn’t really left the (digital) spinning table. Add to this J. Mascis latest, plus Kurt Vile’s Smoke Ring For My Halo, Blood Ceremony, Hexvessel and Six Organs Of Admittance latest.. I’m a very happy panda. And then there is Year Of The Goat!  Lucem Ferre – the light bringer, brrr, evil – is only four tracks of retro brilliance. 21,4 minutes is what you get, but what you get is a-quality. I’d say Year Of The Goat is equal parts Devil’s Blood & Ghost. Well, less Ghost to be honest, since 'Lucem Ferre' is drenched in this very thick Black Widow, Coven, Devil’s Blood, Blood Ceremony sauce. The sauce we have all come to love. The riffs are reminiscent of Devil’s Blood records, so we can trace them more or less back to Roky Erickson’s rhythms & riffs. Listen for example to Of Darkness. The sound of Year Of The Goat is also broader than the Devil’s Blood, and cozier so to speak. As atmosphere goes, I would point to Ghost: happy, sing-along choruses dealing with the most gruesome imagery rock or metal has to offer: satan und darkness..

 

 

In the accompanying bio we read: “while recognizing that the 60’s and 70’s saw the birth of true genius within the performance of dark art, aim is to abolish time and make you see it for the illusion it is - sinister gospels with properly dank atmospheres can be created whenever and wherever.” In my eyes, they succeeded perfectly. Because, what you get is something that has of course echoes to the past, but in it’s own right, it’s a genuinely original release. Don’t laugh, but the first time I heard Lucem Ferre, the vocals reminded me of Muse :D. Well, we all have come to love the theatrics of vocals like Muse and Queen so I don’t really see a problem. Vermillion Clouds is the second track, and it’s somewhat slower and radio friendly. The fun thing is, this sort of doom (well, is it still doom?) doesn’t get to you in a negative way because it’s so uplifting. That is exactly what I liked about Devil’s Blood and Ghost. Dark Lord is evil and fun, and is of course a cover of Sam Gopal (Lemmy, remember?). Closer 'Lucem Ferre' let’s you kindly out of the door, concluding this nice but short visit to Satan, the bringer of light.