Goatess — Blood and Wine

Back in 1970, Birmingham rock band, Black Sabbath released their debut self-titled album. This album, as well as several subsequent ones, became the basis for a new style of heavy music called Doom Metal. Subsequently, many sub-genres of doom appeared. Many bands present their vision of Doom Metal, combining traditional sound with other styles. However, the closest to the original sound are the Doom / Stoner bands, which focus on guitar work, dense and heavy sound and clean vocals.

Swedish band Goatess is well known to fans of the traditional Doom / Stoner metal. The band was formed in 2012 and during its existence released two full-length albums. The debut self-titled album was released in 2013, and the second album, entitled Purgatory Under New Management was released in 2016. But even before the formation of the band, members had  history in the scene- with  band members appeared previously well-known Doom bands like Saint Vitus, Count Raven, Lord Vicar et.
 
The new full-length album Blood and Wine is released by Finnish label Svart Records as a digipack CD, with a digital  Bandcamp download available from the band's site.
 
 
The album cover is a picturesque fragment, which depicts a copper bas-relief covered with a greenish patina. The bas-relief depicts an ancient Roman plot related to fertility. We see the nudes of children, among which is the child Faun, carrying a container, most likely with wine. Several children are pushing the goat. At the top of the cover is the band's logo, this made in stylized Celtic letters with a yellow outline. Just below the logo is the album's title written in classic yellow Roman font. The entire cover is designed in dark and saturated green colouring. I thought it’s an excellent cover, though it didn't reflect the album's atmosphere. It felt more suited to maybe a Military / Dark Folk project. Rather lacking the gloomy, and rebellious feel for a doom record.
 
The album, has a total duration of just over one hour and five minutes, consisting of nine tracks. Unlike the controversial cover, the musical part of the album turned out to be very integral. I can’t select a single composition, so I’ll describe my impressions in general. With Blood and Wine, Goatess continues to exploit their chosen style, practically without departing from the canons of the genre,  but at times make it sound even heavier and richer. This is vicious ‘n’ swinging classic Doom metal with a Stoner edge-  clearly, there are nods back to early Black Sabbath albums, but with a more complex melodic structure. Throughout one track, the tempo may change several times. But the main tempo variations here are slow-to-medium tempo passages. It is worth saying that there are also several fairly high-speed moments, the style of which reminded me of the early works of Mercyful Fate. So, in terms of sound, composition, and melody, Goatess can be put on a par with the likes of Cathedral, Saint Vitus, Sleep, Lord Vicar and so on. As for the work of the musicians and the overall sound of the album - everything is done exactly as it should be: Thick heavy bass, rich guitars and clear drums with a touch of retro sound. The professionalism of the musicians, as well as their composing abilities, are not in doubt. However, personally, I wasn’t keen on the vocals. This is the first album with new vocalist Karl Buhre- without a doubt, he is a strong vocalist with an original timbre. However, his vocals are lower and stiffer compared to the band's previously vocalist Chritus's. Both vocalists have the same manner of singing and straightforwardness, without vibrato or any other vocal techniques. However, Chritus vocals on high notes were closer to Ozzy Osbourne's vocals, and Karl Buhre sometimes resembles Glenn Danzig and has more “modern” elements of vocal work. I felt his vocal timbre didn’t fit with the Doom / Stoner sound, as it gives a more modern, “alternative” shade to the material

 
Regardless my feelings on the vocals, I consider Blood and Wine an excellent example of the genre. And I see my self playing the album again if I’m in the mood for Doom.