Anyone who knows me, knows that Goat is one of my all time favourite bands.
Still to this day, I stand by their set at Meredith 2015 being one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen (closely rivalled by Turnstile and Speed at The Forum, and both the Bronx and Peep Temple at the BC).
Label: Rocket Recordings
Release: Out Now
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But after a six year hiatus, their most recent efforts, Headsoup (2021), Oh Death (2022) and Medicine (2023) have fallen pretty flat in comparison to their first few albums, feeling like more of the same, just slightly worse.
The same can’t be said about the group’s seventh release, Goat. Sure, it may not hold a candle to World Music, Commune, or Requiem, but it feels much truer to the group’s original sound.
An instrumental release at its core, Goat sees the enigmatic Swedish outfit honing in on the wah-heavy riffs (‘Dollar Bill’), inspired keyboard solos (‘Frisco Beaver’) and riff-driven swagger (‘Goatbrain’) that helped them stand out amongst the modern psych-rock scene, while also toying with exciting new influences like hip-hop inspired piano leads (‘Zombie’) and UK garage break-beats (‘Ouroboros’).
Fuzzy distorted riffs, powerhouse dual vocal harmonies, jammy synths, and creative uses of dissonance that help the group ebb and flow between elements of zam-rock, Afro-fusion, and pagan folk–it really does feel like the Goat of old.
Sure, it may not be the standout release of their catalogue, but it’s good to hear Goat back doing what they’ve always done best.
Give Goat’s self-titled offering a listen here.
