Deathcult - Cult Of The Goat

Published December 20 2017

*=Staff's pick	Climax Of The Unclean Bloodstained Ritual* Ascension Rite Man Versus Beast The Oath Devilgoat Laudate Hircum

Genre	Black Metal	Skagg	Vocals
Tracks	7	Skagg	Guitar
Running time	49 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	Soulseller Records	Hoest	Bass
Release	December 15, 2017	Thurzur	Drums
Country	Norway	-	Keyboards
Producer	Eirik Hundvin
Similar bands	Taake, Blodhemn, Urgehal

Some albums are peculiar in the sense that you really ought to fully appreciate them in theory, but in reality you do not see properly eye to eye. In my book, 'Cult of the Goat' is a prime example of this phenomenon.

The typical Norwegian sound, with Taake and Blodhemn being the closest reference points, usually appeals to me and generally warrants a good listen. But this album really never takes off. Most songs are promising for the first minute or so, but around that point my attention starts to drift despite some dynamics and decent riff work present, spiced with a few traditional instrument passages.

The trio, comprising brothers Thurzur and Skagg and Taake mainman Hoest, seems to do most things right at first glance but still do not make a lasting impression. The forgettable songwriting is further hampered by the clean sterile production. Clear productions are not necessarily the bane of all black metal, countrymen Whoredom Rife are a perfect example of this, but in this case it sort of becomes another nail in the Deathcult coffin.

This is not a bad album per se. Some moments are enjoyable, they are simply too short and fail to make a lasting impression. Given the collective routine in this outfit, I expected more.

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
7	4	3	6	5

Summary
4 chalices of 10 - Tengan