▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Goat Prayers ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Final Aclamation █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2010 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-11-17 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Corvo Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Compilation ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Black metal from Brazil. This one is compilation █ █ CD of 2 demos "Abyssic Warriors of Dragon" (1998) █ █ and "Heretic Mountain God" (2000). █ █ █ █ Review for "Abyssic Warriors of Dragon" (1998): █ █ --- █ █ There is something special which only the greatest █ █ old black metal demos captured. There is a special █ █ mood best captured on a well-recorded demo tape, █ █ with no artificial tricks to help tell the tales. █ █ Just like old films used complex camera trickery █ █ to make some special scenes work, a good old black █ █ metal demo is the same way - no CGI animations, █ █ just pure imagination. Music which matches the █ █ dark fogs captured in charcoal on the cover, like █ █ a 90s RPG sourcebook where creativity flowed free, █ █ and small frames of artwork captured the same █ █ spirit and an active imagination in the eye of the █ █ beholder took things to new heights. This is candy █ █ for a vivid mind. █ █ The sound is a little bit dark and foggy. All of █ █ the instruments are clear, each audible, yet they █ █ have their own tone and character which fits into █ █ the mix. Nothing dominant, nothing overdone, but a █ █ complete sound of an entire band with a single █ █ story to tell. Another way of telling ancient and █ █ timeless tales of ancient things - fantasies which █ █ may well be unprecedented, but have this feeling █ █ of being part of something greater. Mythical tales █ █ echoing through eternity, feeling right at home █ █ being told by these storytellers. The production █ █ is wonderful and very fitting as a whole - it █ █ presents the whole band as one sound, nothing █ █ stands out, it is just complete and there are no █ █ technical barriers or even reminders that this is █ █ many individuals playing together. This is █ █ everything imaginative which I love about black █ █ metal. █ █ The music itself has long, flowing melodies which █ █ you can get lost in, reminiscent of Vinterland. █ █ Bombastic contrasts reminiscent of the more epic █ █ moments of Morrigan's music provide an element of █ █ grandeur which is quite prominent - the kind of █ █ fantasia you would picture about "warriors of █ █ dragon!" This part of the music, of course, has █ █ many elements of the epic times of Bathory, though █ █ without the wild and untamed vocals - nothing █ █ stands out quite that much, and the mythical █ █ melodies are the key here. The sheer bombast is a █ █ huge part of this music, and while the production █ █ remains immersed in the dreamy fantasy feeling, I █ █ still imagine epic tales being told within it. █ █ The most honest and imaginative comparison I can █ █ give for the sound of this demo is a personal █ █ recollection. Fantasy games of the 90s were █ █ incredible - while the content of video games was █ █ often limited, the boxes and booklets came adorned █ █ with incredible, imaginative artwork. The scope of █ █ RPGs was boundless, because of the imagination and █ █ imagery involved. This demo evokes the same type █ █ of feelings of awe that those works did. █ █ Incredible. One of the best black metal demos of █ █ the decade. █ █ █ █ Review for "Heretic Mountain God" (2000): █ █ --- █ █ Goat Prayers' second demo is as imaginative and █ █ incredible as their first. This is wildly █ █ imaginative and vivid melodic black metal which █ █ recalls the rich culture of dark fantasy which █ █ thrived at this time. A stronger emphasis on █ █ longer melodies has taken over from the █ █ Bathory-esque bombast, with the band finding their █ █ own dynamic. It is very melodic, reminiscent of █ █ Vordven. You can get lost in these melodies. █ █ Heretic Mountain God is less grand and more █ █ subdued. There is more heartstring-tugging emotion █ █ in the music, due to the more subtle feelings █ █ taking over from the sense of grandeur which came █ █ from being more continually upbeat. Many moments █ █ are dreamy like Vinterland, with simple melodic █ █ guitar parts establishing a feeling beneath the █ █ raspy vocals, before the guitars expand and █ █ explore upon the same theme and use it to tell a █ █ tale. There are some guitar leads which invoke █ █ distant lands, akin to Burzum's "anti-leads" which █ █ are simple parts with a profound melody which █ █ takes you deeper into the atmosphere - the █ █ fantasia - which they have built. █ █ There are also moments which borrow from the █ █ wonderful guitar playing of early Gothenburg █ █ melodeath bands - at times I hear Dark █ █ Tranquillity, Eucharist, and early At the Gates. █ █ One part recalls Dark Tranquillity while the █ █ vocalist wails a King Diamond-style falsetto over █ █ it. There's a few of those, and they feel right at █ █ home, neither tacky nor out of place, but a way to █ █ elevate the energy level of the song. █ █ The pace is often slower than most melodic black █ █ metal - avoiding monotony or overwhelming █ █ intensity - and this allows the moods to thrive, █ █ from sorrow to triumph. No one part ever dominates █ █ the music, rather this is a whole band that are █ █ very in tune with each other. The compositions are █ █ intricate and well thought-out. It just so happens █ █ that this came in just the right era, where the █ █ dark production gives a skilled band a dramatic █ █ masque of fog and shadows over the tales they █ █ tell. █ █ Incredible. Like their first one, one of the best █ █ black metal demos of the era. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. The Moon That Never Sets 6:30 ░ ░ 2. Dark Contemplation 5:12 ░ ░ 3. A Crucial Dejα-Vu 3:48 ░ ░ 4. From Quest to Insanity 4:02 ░ ░ 5. Heretic Mountain God (Outro) 2:38 ░ ░ 6. Litany at Master (Intro) 3:35 ░ ░ 7. Mystical Storming Nights 4:46 ░ ░ 8. Journey to Ocidental Lands (The 8:42 ░ ░ Beginning of the End) ░ ░ 9. War, Pride and Lust 3:57 ░ ░ 10. A Real Nightmare Beyond This Eternal 8:38 ░ ░ Darkness ░ ░ 51:48 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░