Review by Krys on April 5, 2014.

Finally there's something to get excited about death metal scene in US. I won't be calling any names, but during last couple of years latest releases from alleged giants of the genre didn't really spark much of any interest, and as much as I like to wet my pants from excitement - I was getting worried that I'll dry up my crotch and will have to start using moisturizers. Fisthammer to the rescue!

Fantastic sound, abundance of ideas, devastating riffs and waft of fresh rot will satisfy even the most finicky, hidden in basements diehard fans. Starting with prog-ish and rooted on eerie chords almost occult-ish 'Arithmos Tou Theriou' our Pennsylvanian trio builds up the tension that explodes with straight-ahead animal assault of 'Evoking the Wrath of the Revenants'. Steaming through 'Temple of Poseidon' and 'Automation of Flesh', they decide to add some melody and roll over my neck with heavy 'Doom of the Gods' and, since they figured that's not enough, kept adding weight to the point of almost crushing my skull by the end of 'Dismal Inveracity'. With complete disregard for my health Fisthammer opened all unhealed wounds and if it wasn't for hunting classical guitars and solo on 'Interlude', I'd most likely not finish writing this review. It was close 'cause 'The Coven' or 'Thousand Yard Stare' doesn't really qualify as easy-listening with its rollercoster tempos and tremolo pickings. They just kept hammering and hammering and...

Fisthammer interchanges technical, progressive and pure, crushing death metal riffs almost flawlessly, and once they'll figure out the perfect proportions - their blend will be maliciously luscious. Something tells me it will come with their next, so called "most important in band's career" third release, but right now without any hesitation, 'Infallible' will be one of the top death metal albums of 2014, and how the fuck these guys are unsigned is beyond me.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Yener on May 20, 2019.

Okay, so I’m late to the game on this one. Call it laziness, call it not paying attention, call it what you will, but I've never paid attention to Goatwhore until just recently. I had heard some tracks here and there and they didn't do much for me, probably because their previous offerings were more in the realm of black metal.

A night of late YouTube browsing led me to “Baring Teeth for Revolt” and my anus just wasn't ready. I can’t quite describe the feeling I had when hearing this, but it was like savage bliss. The guitars, drums, riffs, it sounded so violent I couldn't believe just how awesome this was. Roughly five minutes later I had the album ordered. I had to have this.

Sammy Duet is well known for his work in Acid Bath, and for good reason. Acid Bath were an amazing band that pushed the boundaries of what we call rock and metal. Thing is, I had no idea he was in Goatwhore. If I did, I would have paid more attention a long time ago, as I love the fuck out of Acid Bath. 

Here we kick things off with “Poisonous Existence in Reawakening” and boy, these guys don’t fuck around at all. Straight for the throat, chocking the life out of you, riff after riff. This still has the black metal vibe, which is also very apparent on “Unraveling Paradise”, but it’s done extremely well. The songwriting is top notch, the arrangements are very carefully thought out, and everything just makes sense musically. The production and mix on the album are what I would call perfect for this type of album. Punchy, clear, but not too clear, if you know what I mean. This is still definitely rough around the edges and has a lot of bite to it. It’s not overly polished at all.

“Baring Teeth for Revolt” just may be one of the best metal songs ever written. Yeah, I went there. But everything about this song just screams METAL. From the riffs, to the outstanding vocals and perfect drum work, this is just a slice of fucking metal heaven. A big slice at that. Also, that has got to be one of the most brutal, most aggressive guitar tones I've ever heard. Shit is just violent. Sounds like Sammy’s ESP wants to fucking rip your spleen out.

The album features some more dynamic work rather than severely punishing death/black metal. The dynamics are laid out nicely and it appears that there’s something here for everyone, though I’m sure Goatwhore couldn't give a fuck about anything or anyone. These guys just play the music they want to hear. I mean you’re not exactly setting yourself up for success with a name like Goatwhore to begin with. This is top notch stuff, definitely check it out if you like your metal fast, aggressive, and no nonsense whatsoever. You will not be disappointed.

Highlights: Baring Teeth for Revolt, Fucked By Satan, Poisonous Existence in Reawakening, Unraveling Paradise, Reanimated Sacrifice.

Rating: 9 out of 10