▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Goats of Doom ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Rukous █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-03-09 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Primitive Reaction ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ GOATS OF DOOM was founded in 2008 by Scaregod and █ █ Inasnum. Three full-lengths eventually followed in █ █ 2012, 2015, and 2017 with this lineup; in this █ █ iteration, the band was more synth-based black █ █ metal, but not strictly "symphonic black metal" by █ █ definition. Now expanded to a trio, GOATS OF DOOM █ █ showed a new face on Rukous, where the mysterious █ █ atmosphere of old is shot through with more █ █ surging aggression and bewitching melody: in █ █ essence, a melodic blizzard, if you will. It's █ █ characteristically Finnish in its melancholy - █ █ melody can never be too saccharine, of course - █ █ but burns icy hot with a passion that makes its █ █ seven-song/42-minute runtime a nightsky treasure █ █ to behold. The theme of Rukous is suitably █ █ spirituality, and hereby do GOATS OF DOOM offer █ █ myriad ways to worship the dark. █ █ █ █ Keeping true to themselves, Goats of Doom are █ █ releasing their fourth full-length only a ripe █ █ year after the previous one. After debuting with █ █ 2011Æs Deathcult ov Doomgoat -split, only two █ █ years have passed without new music. As is wont, █ █ not everything theyÆve put out is great but said █ █ split is a very promising starting point. ItÆs █ █ vivacious riffs and melodic understanding █ █ immediately put them apart from many of their █ █ peers, while the carefully used keyboards, █ █ acoustic segments and oriental vibes that were █ █ used to spice up an occasion or two, gave it a █ █ more colourful facade and wider pen to play in. █ █ While the debut full-length, Lost In Time and █ █ Void, followed largely the same map it seemed to █ █ have lost some of the riffsÆ earlier intricacy and █ █ featured more prominent guitar leads as well as █ █ keyboard lines, refusing now to merely ôadd to the █ █ atmosphereö. This was also the first time clean █ █ vocals appeared in GoDÆs music and while their █ █ placing seemed thought out and they were far from █ █ abundant, their use seemed somewhat haphazard and █ █ awkward. In 2014, Ashes of The Past ep seemed to █ █ continue treading upon the path that LiTaV had set █ █ upon, each small change taken further. And in the █ █ process it appeared as if what once had been █ █ presence of greatness and a promise of coming █ █ deeds, had turned into well made and enjoyable █ █ concoction of most ordinary kind, with only a █ █ hint, an aftertaste that reflected upon primus █ █ motor, ScaregodÆs, vision, not quite attained. █ █ Sophomore full-length, Intra Ecclesiam Nulla █ █ Salus, on the other hand, seemed to have led GoDÆs █ █ path straight into a bog. A desperately bloated █ █ effort at almost an hourÆs length, where still █ █ rather minimal, but more prominent than ever, █ █ keyboard lines scuttle amidst riffs █ █ less-than-vivid riffs. ItÆs not an album without █ █ itÆs moments, but even at itÆs best itÆs a pale, █ █ cliche-ridden attempt of a pastiche of b-grade █ █ 90Æs meloblack. ItÆs an album with which I would █ █ have ended any and each attempt to further get █ █ into GoD, had I not already known there was better █ █ to come. █ █ You see, even though I was quick to dive into █ █ their history, I did not become familiar with the █ █ band until last yearÆs Alla Kirkkaimman TΣhden. █ █ And the reason is simple. Goats of Doom is a █ █ terrible band name. Utterly, devastatingly, █ █ abhorrently terrible band name. ItÆd be a terrible █ █ name for the hit-tier garage stoner band that it █ █ sounds like it belongs to. But slowly, I began to █ █ feel adjured to give it a try, as the band kept █ █ appearing in my newsfeed, and many of my friends █ █ and acquaintances sang their careful praise. Alla █ █ Kirkkaimman TΣhden was no return to Deathcult ov █ █ Doomgoat, which at the time I wouldnÆt have been █ █ able to tell anyways, but it does feel like █ █ Scaregod finally uncovered that which he wished to █ █ craft upon. █ █ The melodic effort was taken to new heights, █ █ though the keys had been stripped, making it GoDÆs █ █ least heavy and most melancholic release. Facts █ █ underlined with an abundance of clean vocals that █ █ drummer Inasnum had finally made to work, on LiTaV █ █ they had been muddled, buried and slightly █ █ off-place and on IENS appearing like an █ █ out-of-range-and-breath impression of Timo █ █ Kotipelto (no, really). AKT on the other hand, █ █ made good use of them, both in abundance and █ █ quality. Even used in such quantities that they █ █ diverge attention from Alla Kirkkaimman TΣhdenÆs █ █ plain and melancholic approach to what could be █ █ described as a quintessential black metal record. █ █ It borders on inadvertent comedy that one should █ █ stumble so often, after so auspicious a start. █ █ Which is why it pleases me greatly that Rukous █ █ should continue the upward trajectory began on █ █ AKT. Despite having had this promo for a good █ █ while, and liking their previous record, I was █ █ hesitant to listen to Rukous. Be it the bandÆs █ █ name, their spotty history or the combination of █ █ title (ôPrayerö) and cover art that failed to █ █ enthrall me. I first heard it going to a record █ █ store. Browsing through the albums, I found myself █ █ enjoying whatever it was that was playing, and █ █ mere minutes later left with the LP. █ █ 41 minutes of melodic, melancholic and mostly fast █ █ black metal. Unusual then that if it wasnÆt for █ █ the stringent vocalization, there would not be █ █ much aggression on this album. While is Rukous █ █ does not altogether lack in gloom, itÆs largely a █ █ lightweight effort with thin guitar sound thatÆs █ █ apt to portray the melodic front but wonÆt please █ █ someone looking for rawer power. █ █ Rukous is the most consistent album from Goats of █ █ Doom to date, many of the songs find a new gear █ █ towards their end, making even the longer █ █ compositions more pleasant to play, while the █ █ re-introduced calm and acoustic segments offer █ █ respite for weary ears. The appearance of █ █ rare-in-black-metal guitar solos and clan vocals █ █ embroider the otherwise so bleak soundscape. █ █ Here InasnumÆs cleans are used to a lesser extent █ █ than they were on Alla Kirkkaimman TΣhden, which █ █ is all well, as theyÆve taken a small step █ █ backwards. When sung in Finnish, like on ôTuhkasta █ █ Valettuö, or doubling growls, they work well █ █ enough. But especially when taken apart and sung █ █ in English, they falter, sounding awkward and █ █ wavering. █ █ While there arenÆt any significant stylistic █ █ changes between AKT and Rukous, I can hardly █ █ believe Goats of DoomÆs earlier work wouldnÆt have █ █ clashed if re-recorded and placed on that record, █ █ yet that is what they have done here. With █ █ ôRiivaajaö all the way from Deathcult ov Doomgoat █ █ split, and I find it remarkable how well it fits. █ █ The riffs are somewhat more lively than on the █ █ other songs, but had I not known, I wouldnÆt have █ █ been able to tell it wasnÆt a song written for █ █ this release, thatÆs how well it fits in. Goats of █ █ Doom, despite their name and previous █ █ shortcomings, might be on the verge of something █ █ great here. Nomen non est omen. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. VeressΣ on Perustani Juuret 6:22 ░ ░ 2. Tuhkasta Valettu 3:50 ░ ░ 3. Law ov Liberty 5:44 ░ ░ 4. Sokeus Johtaa Kansaa 4:34 ░ ░ 5. World Denied Lucifer's Light 7:34 ░ ░ 6. Rukous 4:18 ░ ░ 7. Riivaaja 8:58 ░ ░ 41:20 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░