Premiere: Night Goat ‘Ghost Sickness’ – From New Album ‘Totem’ That Drops 17th March

Ohio’s Night Goat are a difficult band to truly pigeonhole as words like ‘abrasive’, ‘death rock’, ‘goth’ ‘noise-rock’ and ‘post-punk’ are mentioned in their press statement, and yes, they are certainly all of those, and more so as their grizzly take on the underbelly of dank rock and metal has a definitive darkness to its sonics.

Night Goat - Photo by Molly Crowe
Night Goat – Photo by Molly Crowe

After appearing on Black Donut Records tributes to Samhain and Melvins, the label will now release their new album Totem which features ten potent tracks of dark death rock and metal with a lyrical theme based around Native American lore. Set to crawl out of the shadows on 17th March, but before that date, The Shaman can bring you the single Ghost Sickness, and about the track, vocalist Julia Bentley explains…

Ghost Sickness is about trauma, recognizing the scars of our past, and coming out the other side as a functional human. There is a recurring theme of an evil spirit possession, or horrible event explained through or blamed on the evil spirit itself, which took control over affected the outcome of situations, or affected the life dramatically of the individual and could change the individuals path.’

Julia continues, ‘all humans experience trauma throughout life that changes us (starting with birth). I believe sometimes trauma can be so life affecting, that it comes back to haunt us throughout our lives in different situations, within individual patterns and cycles we perpetuate over and over again.’

Making this connection has helped Julia in overcoming her own Ghost Sickness, a connection that can be heard in the passion of her vocal delivery, which you can now succumb to by clicking play below…

More On Night Goat & Totem

Not for the weak of heart, Night Goat delivers abrasive, slashing, dark noise-rock/death rock, with elements of goth, post-punk, and doom, their barrage of sounds owing to an almost supernatural regard of classic bands of the genre like Samhain, Unsane, 45 Grave, EyeHateGod, and even Sonic Youth.

Night Goat’s debut album, Milk, was released in late 2019 and received rave reviews throughout the underground. In 2020 the band followed up with a split release with good friends Ghost:Hello on European label Interstellar Smoke Records. 2021 found the band added to a Samhain tribute album, World Without End, where they delivered an explosive cover of the Samhain classic Moribund.

Night Goat - Photo by Molly Crowe
Night Goat – Photo by Molly Crowe

The tribute album was released by Black Donut Records, who invited Night Goat back in 2022 for the Melvins tribute LP, A Future Of Bad Men, where the band covered Antitoxidote, which Decibel Magazine lauded as, ‘a sludgy mess that Buzzo would likely approve of.’ These two collaborations led the label to sign the band for their second LP, Totem.

The ten new tracks that embody Totem see Night Goat at their deadliest yet. An album based on Native American lore, the recording line-up was embodied by vocalist Julia Bentley, guitarist/vocalist Chris Bentley, bassist/vocalist Dalin Jones, and guitarist Mike Ramone and drummer Donnie Casey who have since left the band. The album was engineered by Jeremy James at Wreckroom Recording Studio, mastered by Sterling ‘Spidermonkey’ Hankins, and completed with artwork by Chris Bentley and Gordiart. Totem also features guest guitar by Clinton Jacob (Mr.Phylzzz) on Wendigo, saxophone from Matt Corey on Death Crow Dance, and additional percussion from Tommy Dalo on Child Of Owls and Death Crow Dance.

Night Goat 'Totem'
Night Goat ‘Totem’ Artwork

Black Donut owner Morey Straus states, ‘I’m a long time fan of Night Goat and really honored that they chose us to release their new album. It’s their darkest, heaviest release yet.’, while guitarist and vocalist Chris Bentley adds, ‘We’ve built up a good relationship with Black Donut and we’re excited to be working with them for our new album.’

Having shared the stage with the likes of Christian Death, The Obsessed, Cherubs, Whores, Low Dose, False Gods, Mr.Phylzzz, and many more, Night Goat plans on staying quite busy touring regionally and across the US in 2023. Stand by for live announcements to be announced over the weeks ahead alongside additional audio previews of Totem.

Totem Tracklisting:
01. Sister Wolf
02. Ghost Sickness
03. Wendigo
04. Blood Circles
05. Child Of Owls
06. Rattlesnake
07. Ritual Of Antlers
08. Skin Walk With Me
09. Pale Face Lightning
10. Death Crow Dance

Night Goat on Totem is:
Julia Bentley – Vocals
Chris Bentley – Guitar, Vocals
Dalin Jones – Bass, Vocals
Mike Ramone – Guitar
Donnie Casey – Drums

Guest Musicians on Totem:
Clinton Jacob (Mr.Phylzzz) – Guitar on Wendigo
Matt Corey – Saxophone on Death Crow Dance
Tommy Dalo – Additional percussion on Child Of Owls and Death Crow Dance

Totem, the new album from Ohio-based Night Goat, will be released on 17th March by Black Donut Records on ghostly grape vinyl and digital download. Pre-orders are now live and available over on Bandcamp.

Label: Black Donut Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram