Deathgoat is awake.
For its tenth anniversary, the band led by Putrid Worm (vocals) and Nihilist (guitar/vocals, Stygian Creations), since joined by Vicar Miggoat (guitar), Chope666 (drums, Stygian Creations) and L.F. Molestor (bass, Elvenscroll, Indemon, Tomb of Finland) unveils its second album, Dragged Into Realms Below, via Xtreem Music.
Alkulima first exposes us to a rather cold, ominous sound, but Death Metal’s thick saturation soon resurfaces. A vocal sample reinforces the anguish, and the heaviness prevails until Pestilent Retribution reveals the band’s explosive aggression, reinforced by cavernous, morbid vocal parts, but there are also obvious Grind influences. Congregation of Disease follows, spewing out its straightforward Old School roots and skull-shaking waves of unbridled fury, while Dying to Be Dead immediately releases the reins and crushes us at full speed. A few more jerky touches complete the picture of unstable aggression, then the musicians give Compulsive Cannibalism a raw, driving groove, but the track can also slow down to become heavier and allow the leads to split the air. Monoxcide follows with a bass that’s omnipresent in the mix, but also with a high amount of piercing leads then a sample offers a moment’s respite before moving on to Flashback Psychosis, a fast-paced track that doesn’t shy away from molesting us regularly. Clinically Undead begins with a sense of anguish, but picks up again with catchy riffs that shift gears at will, also passing through moments of heaviness, before Dragged Into Realms Below, the eponymous track, rolls over us mercilessly, using the same elements to close the album, not without a majestic passage.
Deathgoat have had the time to perfect their Death Metal over the last ten years, and Dragged Into Realms Below is a perfect example of a tribute to the Nordic Old School scene! No mercy, no concessions, just raw power.
90/100