GOATROACH Satanic Decay CD

Straight from the freezing depths of Finland, Goatroach emerges with their 2024 full-length assault, Satanic Decay. Released via the French cult label Sleeping Church Records, this album is a foul, high-octane blend of Blackened Death Metal and primitive Sludge that smells of sulfur and old-school rot. After the unsettling instrumental intro Covered in Satanic Decay, the band dives headfirst into a whirlwind of filth with Of Paperhats & Copied Sigils, establishing a sound that is as raw as it is uncompromising. Goatroach excels at creating a claustrophobic, grime-ridden atmosphere, moving from the savage aggression of Cunting in Hell to the crushing, soot-covered rhythms of Unified in Ash. The record is a celebration of the macabre, with tracks like For Legacy and the relentless Horror Unending showcasing the band's ability to balance Finnish gloom with visceral, head-on brutality. As the album reaches its mid-point with the titular anthem Satanic Decay, it becomes clear that this is a work of pure sonic depravity. The experience culminates in the sprawling, nearly nine-minute epic Intoxicated by Necromancy, a track that drags the listener through a swamp of thick distortion before the final, apocalyptic echoes of Chant of the Armageddon Hybrid. This CD is a mandatory acquisition for those who worship at the altar of raw, ugly, and unfiltered extreme metal. If you crave the stench of the underground and music that feels like a descent into a decaying tomb, Goatroach has delivered your soundtrack for 2024.