Album Review: Goatwhore – Vengeful Ascension (Metal Blade Records)

Extreme metal band, Goatwhore are back with their 7th album, Vengeful Ascension! Their first since 2014’s Constricting Rage of the Merciless. The new album is out now via Metal Blade Records.

Vengeful Ascension is 10 tracks of exciting, pissed off blackened death metal. It’s impact is as hard as its riffs. The raw fury of Forsaken mixed with the groove heavy riffs starts things off really well for Goatwhore. The blackened vocals spit a constant stream of bile out, something that is way more prevalent on the faster, Under the Flesh, Into the Soul.

A serious blast of crushing death metal, it’s got a huge amount of swagger backed up an exciting & consistent drum beat.

With the constant assault of pissed off vocals & riffs it’s easy to forget that what makes Goatwhore so listenable is their ability to throw hooks & groove into their songs with ease while never compromising the heaviness. For every hard rock guitar solo in the likes of Vengeful Ascension there is a Chaos Arcane, a wall of aggression & noise. Two different songs but both equally fitting within the albums’ overall sound.

Whether it’s spitting fury out at a fast pace or going for a more mournful sound (Where the Sun is Silent), Goatwhore have come up with a seriously memorable release. The menacing sounds of Abandon Indoctrination, the pacey groove of Mankind Will Have No Mercy & the slamming fury of the final track, Those Who Denied God’s Will.

While not exactly straying too far from the well, Vengeful Ascension is fresh & modern sounding. Ten tracks of blackened death metal with a great undercurrent of groove that gets these songs to stick in the head. Damn fine stuff.

Goatwhore – Vengeful Ascension Full Track Listing:

1. Forsaken
2. Under the Flesh, Into the Soul
3. Vengeful Ascension
4. Chaos Arcane
5. Where the Sun is Silent
6. Drowned in Grim Rebirth
7. Abandon Indoctrination
8. Mankind Will Have No Mercy
9. Decayed Omen Rebirth
10. Those Who Denied God’s Will

Vengeful Ascension is out now on all major streaming services such as Apple Music below.