Goat Major – Ritual
Release Date: 8th March 2024
Label: Ripple Music
Bandcamp
Genre: Stoner, Doom.
FFO: Electric Wizard, Hark, Thunder Horse, Wizard Master.
Review By: Paul Cairney
The stoner/doom genre is one of the more highly competitive genres in metal at the moment, and it is into this maelstrom that 3 friends from the deepest and darkest region of Wales chose to dabble their toes with the release of their ‘Evil Eye’ EP last year. The release raised a few eyebrows in the scene and Goat Major were then snaffled up by the superb Ripple Music label and 2024 sees the release of their debut album, Ritual.
At its core, Ritual is a decent, honest slab of occult doom, full of insatiable fuzz and down-tuned prehistoric riffs. For a debut doom album, all is well and good, but it isn’t going to set the world on fire. There are a good few high-points that make the album worth your time, however.
Originally, after forming during the pandemic, Goat Major were an instrumental band before bassist Tom Shortt decided he could sing. This was a very wise decision, as it is the vocals that add the additional edge to the tracks. In a world where it is, dare we say ‘trendy’, for doom acts to have an ethereal female fronted vocal alongside bludgeoning riffs, it is refreshing to have a male vocalist stretching his lungs. Occasionally reminiscent of the singer from the one-dimensional pop band Oasis, the vocals sit alongside the tracks with consummate ease.
Perhaps the best thing about the move from an instrumental to vocal fronted band is that Goat Major understands the power of the riff and its importance in the song. Album opener, ‘Snakes (Goddess of the Serpent)’, welcomes you with a psychedelic doomy riff that lasts for a full 1 minute and 34 seconds before Shortt asks ‘Is it just an illusion, to be under my skin’. It is a strong opening track that sets a tone.
The trio, completed by guitarist Jammie Arnold and drummer Simon Bonwick gel brilliantly. Each track is tight and utterly heavy. The tone of the album is perfect for the occult doom vibe they are trying to create. Bonwick’s judicious use of cymbals in the intro to ‘Turn to Dust’ are a joy, as is the excellent use of an organ, adding unfeasible depth to the track. Halfway through, a quick guitar interlude by Arnold ushers the track into different territory, as it morphs into unexpected urgency. It is a genuine album highlight.
The main drawback of Ritual is that it is what it is, a stoner/doom album. Even though it is very well executed, Ripple Music are not a label to release poor albums, Goat Major don’t add anything new to a genre that has very heavy hitters in the metal scene. What these intrepid Welshmen have delivered is a very respectable debut album that teases a tantalizing prospect of more to come.
(3.5 / 5)
