Goatchrist/The Secred Teachings Of Aleister Crowley/2022 Full Length Review

 

  United  Kingdom's  solo  project  Goatchrist  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  an  instrumental,  experimental,  avant  garde  and  progressive  form  of  occult  black  metal  with  elements  of  jazz  and  classical  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2022  album  "The  Sacred  Teachings  Of  Aleister  Crowley".

  Pianos  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavier  riffing  and  orchestra  sounds  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  adds  in  touches  of  classical  music.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  jazz  music  style  instruments  can  also b e  heard  at  times.

  The  tracks  also  has  their  progressive  moments  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are utilized.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with the  album  also  adding  in  elements  of  black  metal  and  blast  beats  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  and  most  of  the  recording  sticks  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  style.

  On  this  recording  Goatchrist  moves  further  away  from  the  black  metal  direction  of  earlier  releases  and  focuses  more  on  an  experimental  and  avant  garde  style  of  metal  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  focus  more  on t he  Thelemic  teachings  Of  Aleister  Crowley.

 In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Goatchrist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  avant garde  and  progressive  occult  black  metal  with  elements  of  jazz  and  classical  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Enter  The  Prophet  Of  The  Aeon"  "Do  What  Thoiu  Wilt"  "The  Ego's  Dance  With  Choronzon"  and  "The  Death  Of  Aleister  Crowley".  8  out  o  10.

 

https://www.facebook.com/goatchristband https://goatchrist.bandcamp.com/album/the-sacred-teachings-of-aleister-crowley https://open.spotify.com/artist/1toZTR8hPlndPdJ3uK9kFd

       

  

Goatchrist/Odes To The Radiant One/Wicker Man Recordings/2022 CD Review

 

  Goatchrist  are  a  duo  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  the  recording  plays  a  progressive  form  of  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  the ir 2022  album  "Ode  to  The  Radiant  One"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Wicker  Man  Recordings.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  chants  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Hermeticism,  Pythagoreanism,  Kaballah,  Vaishnavism  and  Vajrayana  with  some  inspirations  from  the  writings  of  manly  P.  Hall  and  Aliester  Crowley.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  form  Goatchrist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I,  The  Lawgiver"  "Of  The  Sephirot  (Which  Art  the  Qlippoth)"  and  "Jacob,s  Ladder".  8/5  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/goatchristband/

https://www.facebook.com/wickermanrec/

  

Goatchrist/The Epic Tragedy Of The Cult Of Enlil/SixSixSix Music/2015 EP Review

  Goatchrist  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw,  melodic,  atmospheric  and  occult  form  of  black/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "The  Epic  Tragedy  Of  The  Cult  Of  Enlil"  which  was  released  by  SixSixSix  Music.

  A  gothic  horror  style  keyboard  starts  off  the  ep  and  brings  in  the  atmosphere  of  an  old  horror  movie  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  which  also  appear  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  as  well  and  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  raw  and  melodic  black  metal  direction  along  with  some  grim  high  pitched  screams  and  blast  beats.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  mid  90's  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  clean  playing  and  keyboards  returning  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  more  melody  in  the  songs  when  they  are  utilized  and  as  the  ep  progresses  more  growls  and  death  metal  influences  can  be  heard  at  times  while  the  keyboards  also  add  in  a  touch  of  psychedelia  and  mix  in  with  the  heavier  parts  of  the  songs  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Goatchrist  creates  a  very  raw,  melodic  and  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  on  this  recording  and  while  the  death  metal  influence  of  previous  recordings  is  still  there  in  some  parts  the  band  focuses  more  on  the  blackened  side  of  things  this  time  around,  the  production  sound s very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  focus  more  on  Sumerian  Occultism  and  History.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  form  Goatchrist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  melodic,  and  atmospheric  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Message  Blows  On  East  Sumerian  Winds"  and  "The  Great  Battle  At  The  Ruins  Of  Ninurta's  Temple".  8  out  of  10.  

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Goatchrist Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Goatchrist is a mouthpiece for a range of diverse (yet related) thematic topics. We aim to build upon what is often described as 'the true essence of black metal' with magickal lyrical formulas and influences from other genres of music; thus far, I'm content with our progression towards this goal.
Goatchrist was 'formed' this year (2014) as a solo project by myself. This came after my brief time as an auditioning guitarist for Sathamel, a similar band to my own, which is comprised of some friends of mine. At the time, my skill with the guitar and attitude towards the music did not match their requirements, so I was declined the role; however, I'd already commenced writing material for them. These songs (both parts of Bloodletting, The Four Horsemen and Catacombs) were recorded alongside two other, older tracks (The Scrying Mirror and Inferno, then called 'Crushing Your Essence Under Fire and Brimstone') which were re-recorded and released under the Goatchrist name.
Shortly afterwards, I decided to turn the band into a live project, and recruited Kaahl (ex-Slaughter Throne) and Aamon-Vetis to complete the lineup.

2.So far you have released 2 demos this years, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
The 'Legion' demo is a recording from 2013 created whilst I was under the spell of Xasthur, Leviathan and other excellent USBM bands. It had been sat on an old computer of mine until months after the first demo was released, and upon re-listening to my old recordings, I decided they were a sufficiently polished insight into my musical roots to release.
She Who Holds the Scrying Mirror differs greatly from this. The sound and production, though still raw, is more polished and certainly more fitting for the style of music. Whereas Legion is an attempt to recreate a specific sound, The Scrying Mirror is an exploration into my own sounds and ideas.

3.Your lyrics cover some Luciferian and Occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
I don't think there exists a single black metal fanatic that, at some point, has not identified as an adept or follower of some form of Sinister philosophy. My own path began in a very juvenile manner, with the label of 'Satanist' used for shock value alone. However, my interest in chaos magick began after the influence of my friend [Ryan Fleming, from Solitude Forest]. The Order of the Nine Angles, a belief system that mirrors the basic principles of chaos in its core values, soon became a useful tool to develop my beliefs.
The Luciferian imagery in the first demo comes as a result of my disdain towards other bands that promote "chaos" by presenting it in a dogmatic format, which I find absurd [it is for this reason that I despise groups like the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, who preach about Abrahamic rituals and Jewish dragons and expect to be taken seriously].
It should be noted that my own personal beliefs are more akin to Thelema and the ancient religion of Sumer, far more so than any type of 'Satanism'.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Goatchrist'?
The goat is the independent warrior; the sheep is the mindless follower. Thus, the 'Goatchrist' is the warrior-king, a prophet who declines to keep any followers or worshippers and instead teaches the strong to become stronger, and in time, banishes the weak.

 5.Are there any plans to do any live shows with this band or is this strictly a studio project?
We have a gig booked for February 20th at the Fenton in Leeds, supporting Sodomized Cadaver. As of now, the band is a live project.

6.Recently SixSixSix Music re-issued your first demo, are there any plans to also re-issue the second demo?
No. There'd be no reason to; it's available already for free to those who desire to trace our/my musical roots.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
Fantastic, actually. We've had several excellent reviews of the Scrying Mirror demo and one good review of Legion. It seems that our music appeals to both the 'kvlt'-type black metaller and the brutal death metaller alike.

8.What is going on with some of your other bands or musical projects these days?
Kierkegaard, my ambient project, is taking a break from recording until the new year. Mors Voluntaria, my personal outlet for a different kind of message, is in the process of recording its first album [I've already recorded all guitars, and B. is in the process of recording drums and his own guitar parts].

9.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?
A far more melodic and faster sound. Previews of the new songs have already been sent around a few of my close inner circle of friends. I think we'll stay with SixSixSix too, as they've done a truly excellent job of promoting the release and, for now, are the perfect label to work with.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Good black metal is my only direct influence for this project; the rest of the sound is my own ideas and experimentation. I'd say Leviathan is a definite influence, as are Absu, Destroyer 666 and Melechesh. Other than that, I don't really listen to much metal, and some of my preferred artists and bands include the Grateful Dead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shining (from Norway; Niklas Kvarforth isn't my cup of tea in the slightest), ELO, the Eagles, the Who, etc.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Reading philosophy and mathematics, and also experimenting with psychedelic/hallucinogenic substances in order to delve deeper into the acausal plane of unused universal energy (the 'spirit world' to the lay man). That's pretty much all I have time to do, and juggling those with the music can be a challenge at times, though all three of these activities enhance my musical skill in rather abstract ways.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Respect to all individuals who've supported our cause thus far. Agios O Noctulis!

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Goatchrist/She Who Holds The Scrying Mirror/SixSixSix Music/2014 CD Review

  Goatchrist  are  a   band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "She  Who  Holds  the  Scrying  Mirror"  which  was  released  by  SixSixSix  Music.

  Nature  and  ambient  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  a  minute  later  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  mixing  black  and  death  metal  together  and  then  the  album  starts  bringing  in  a  very  fast  and  raw  sound  that  utilizes  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams.

  Death  metal  growls  and  melodic  riffing  and  leads  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  have  a  dark  sound  to  them  while  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody,  talent  and  skill  and  on  the  later  tracks  the  vocals  get  more  grim  and  diverse  as  well  as  adding  in  dsbm  style  screams  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  times you  can  hear  some  atmospheric  synths  and  clean  parts  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  being  used  briefly  and  in  some  of  the  low  yet  heavy  riffing  you  can  hear  elements  of  doom  metal  and  on  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  very  brutal  sounding  blackened  death  metal  style.
   
  Goatchrist  creates  a  very  diverse  sounding  black  metal  album  that  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  raw,  depressive  and  melodic  songs  along  with  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  influences  and  the  music  always  keeps  around  a  very  dark  and  evil atmosphere,  the  production  sound s very  dark  and  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Cosmic  Luciferianism  and  Biblical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Goatchrist  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  melodic  and  atmospheric  black/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Through  Flames  We  Invoke  Him"  "The  Four  Horsemen"  "She  Who  Holds  the  Scrying  Mirror"  and  "Inferno".  8  out  of  10.  

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