1/Dogdays - Goatsnake

Advantages: Great music!
Disadvantages: None!

...Goatsnake!!! This is their first album and accordingly called Goatsnake 1. This little-known group are exceptionally talented, and yet unappreciated. I only saw them through their gig with Queens of the Stone Age and since then have bought this superb album, and a great EP. Unlike a lot of heavy bands, you can understand what Pete Stahl (lead singer) is actually saying, and they have recognisable tunes. The guitarist reminds me of Guns n' Roses, Slash, with exactly the same hair, but their music is very different to say the least. Anyway, let's delve into an album that will hopefully become very popular soon, as it truly deserves to be. With only eight songs on the cd, I was slightly disappointed as I stared at the case for the first time... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great smoking album
Disadvantages: Not that original

...This is the second full length album by Goatsnake, and it builds firmly on the promise of their first release, the sensibly titled, 1. The music is much more polished and varied this time around, providing a much more interesting musical experience in general. The strong points are the musicianship and the songwriting, which are good strong points for a band to have. The music is a blend of bong rock and solemn doom metal. The most noticeable inspiration is NY doomsters The Obsessed, but then the rhythm section of the band both had short careers in that outfit, so that’s not surprisingly. Goatsnake are much heavier and slightly more doom laden than The Obsessed, partly thanks the mournful cries of vocalist Pete Stahl, who sounds like he was genetically engineered from a mixture of Ozzy Osbourne and Howlin’ Wolf... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Back to form
Disadvantages: It took them 4 albums !

...If, like me, you thought the last 4 Cathedral studio albums ("The Ethereal Mirror" until "Caravan Beyond Redemption") were allright in principle, but just not as good as "Forest Of Equilibrium", then "Endtyme" should come as a very pleasant surprise. Having said that, it'll come as the sort of very pleasant surprise that jumps on your head and stays there. With the aid of Billy Anderson's excellent production, Dorrian and his troops of doom have assimilated the style they displayed on those mid-period albums with the crushing doom of their seminal debut. Why they have seen fit to do this right now is probably something to do with the generally high quality of recent doom output, particularly from the likes of Electric Wizard, Orange Goblin and Goatsnake on Dorrian's own Rise Above label. But, cunning as they are, Cathedral have produced... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful