EP Review: Goat Monsoon – Alpha Kings (Self Released)

Combining doom, stoner and groove, Essex’s Goat Monsoon have given us an early Christmas present in the shape of a 4-track EP. The perfect way to cap off an impressive year for the band that saw them take part in the Essex Bloodstock Metal 2 the Masses 2019 events, win the whole thing and perform to a rapturous crowd at Bloodstock in August.

It’s been a great year and for us, it’s been a joy to get to know and experience just how good a band they are. One of the countries brightest metal acts and their new EP, Alpha Kings just confirms that.

Managing to capture all of their live energy in this high-tempo bundle, the ripping groove of the title track kicks so much ass. There is no need for any kind of tempo-switch, it’s short and very punchy. As the vocals declare: “we are the alpha kings”.

I Was Here doesn’t drop the energy but it does see the guitars burst forth with some real style and the chorus is pretty damn special. Hell, this is the kind of track you play to sell the band to a non-believer.

Changing things up, albeit not with the pace, Crazy We Fall is a fair bit longer than the two that came before it. However, you won’t notice as Goat Monsoon burn with groove fire. The veritable ease that they delve into their bleakest sounding moments is incredible and the increasing pace to bring it back up is worthy of a hefty circle pit.

Finally it’s Shake Me Down, an already popular Goat Monsoon track, that wraps up the EP. Everything great about the band rolled into one filthy sounding groove-stoner-metal track.

Thank fuck we’ve not done our best EPs of 2019 list yet because Alpha Kings has shaken things up.

Goat Monsoon – Alpha Kings Full Track Listing:

1. Alpha Kings
2. I Was Here
3. Crazy We Fall
4. Shake Me Down

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