Review by Carl on January 28, 2023.

With a name that seems to come directly from The Great War Metal Bandname Generator and cover art courtesy of Goats 'R' Us Inc, there are no presents or flowers for guessing what style these young men play. But is their music as generic as you would expect from the cover of this particular book? The answer is no, actually.

As you might have understood already, Wargoat are indeed a black/death metal band, dealing in down-tuned fuzzed-out riffing with cavernous roaring vocals on top, but not as you might expect. I can hear elements of acts like Conqueror, Manticore (US) and Black Witchery for sure, but the emphasis is not on blasting fury and relentless speed. Of course there are quite some of the almost mandatory faster parts, but Wargoat have made more room for slower parts than much of their contemporaries do, which adds variation and even some unexpected hooks. It brings to mind the old Greek style of Rotting Christ and Nergal, but seen through an early Beherit lens, which is actually a pretty original approach to the down-trodden path of war metal. When the band hits the accelerator, I'm reminded of the first Marduk album, as well as "Ugra Karma" era Impaled Nazarene somewhat, but a certain old school death metal feel lingers throughout the album as well. Backed by a solid underground production, this is quite an original take on the genre, I'll admit.

But originality aside, this album does not grab me to the fullest. Most obvious reason is that I like my bestial/war/goat/whatever metal just full blast, without frills or niceties, and at times this album sounds just that bit too chipper for me. This is in no way a bad effort, but I would not have minded less moody atmosphere and more frantic bloodlust, to be honest. Let's chalk that down to mere personal taste, I'd say.

If you, unlike me, are not a purist arse, and do know how to appreciate a release that combines thrashing aggression with darker atmospheres, then this should do just great. It is a solid album, just not 100% to my taste.

Rating: 7 out of 10