Review: Goatburner ‘Fatal’
Fatal is a blistering album. Guitar and vocalist Keijo Niinimaa (Rotten Sound), aka Kaos, and drummer Jack Foreman (Ratface), aka Spider, have managed to create another record that surpasses their last full-length album Deadly Conditions (2019) and the Danger EP (2022). What remains extraordinary about this band is their consistency, they are just as uncompromising as their first release.
If you don’t know Goatburner, this is labelled as a death metal album but closely tied to grind’s speed and drumming and sludge’s massive guitar tone.
If you have heard the previous releases, in terms of overall sound, the band have taken the path of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. The guitar tone is as abrasive as in previous releases, albeit with a little more clarity in the mastering. While the band seem to have labelled this record as death metal first and foremost, the grind and power violence influences certainly haven’t gone anywhere.
There still is a clear connection to the grind of Rotten Sound and the monolithic sludge of Morbid Evils, the power violence heritage is clear as well through the relentless double kick and blast beats. And obviously, Kaos’s distinct vocals remain as enraged as always. Thematically, this is in classic death metal territory as tracks like Revolving Reaper and Dismemberment are about as straight-up death metal as you can get.
However, there is often at least one moderate joke on a Goatburner release. On 2022’s Danger, I took this to be Leaf Blower. On this album, it is Morbid Angle, which Trey Azeroth might (maybe?) crack a smile at. A lot of the additional sounds added to the tracks throughout the album also nod to a love of slasher horror films. Fatal has a continuous role of human pain sounds, chainsaw sounds, crows, knives, guns etc at the start and end of each track. Nearly always, I find samples like this about as welcome as the pre-roll adverts at the start of a YouTube video. That said, on Fatal, this seems to work. The music, which the band actually wrote and performed makes the added samples function as dressing rather than attempts to generate atmosphere.
For a guitar and drums only band there is plenty of low end, providing a thick undercurrent that complements the razor-sharp riffs…
Fatal not only demonstrates Goatburner‘s unwavering commitment to their unique blend of extreme metal genres but also showcases an evolution in their sound. This is evident on the track Lobotomized where the band experiments with longer, more atmospheric intros that build tension before erupting into their signature frenetic pace. This slight shift in approach adds a new layer of depth to the album, making it more than just a relentless assault on the senses.
The production on Fatal deserves special mention. It strikes a perfect balance between raw energy and polished clarity, allowing each instrument to shine without losing the gritty essence of Goatburner‘s sound. For a guitar and drums only band there is plenty of low end, providing a thick undercurrent that complements the razor-sharp riffs.
Lyrically, Fatal delves into dark and introspective themes, exploring the human psyche’s more twisted corridors. Songs like Blender Blender and Hateful Beaks are almost poetic in their brutality, offering a glimpse into the band’s philosophical side without compromising their aggressive edge. This adds a cerebral element to the album, inviting listeners to not only bang their heads but also ponder the darker aspects of existence.
Fatal is a testament to the band’s mastery of their craft. It retains the ferocity of their earlier works while introducing subtle nuances that demonstrate their growth as musicians, albeit with a bit of humour. For fans of the band, this album is a must-listen, offering a raw, unfiltered experience that is as thought-provoking as it is visceral. Goatburner has once again set the bar high, not just for themselves but for the genre as a whole.
Label: Time To Kill Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: James Bullock
