“Goathammer’s name is a paradox. On one hand, it sounds metal as fuck. Goats are easily one of the most metal animals, while the word “hammer” conveys a sense of primal, brute force. Yet at the same time, it feels kind of generic. If someone were to hold a gun to my head and force me to come up with ten metal band names in two minutes, “Goathammer” would be right near the top of the list, along with “Death Trooper” and “Satanic Thimblefucker.” Goat with a bullet.
“Although not the first country that leaps to mind, Iceland is tailor made for a black metal scene. With thirty active volcanoes, a sun that can still shine in the middle of the night, and a winter that lasts almost precisely as long as summer, bands have plenty of inspiration in which to toil and leave their legacy on the sound. The arguable leader of these is Svartidauði, whose debut full length Flesh Cathedral received heaping praise and exposed the Icelandic scene to the world at large.” Of ice, volcanoes, and red swords.
“There are records—Unleash the Archers’ Apex, for example—that represent massive jumps in quality from their relative predecessors. Other records constitute evolutionary improvement rather than revolutionary ones. Ichor’s debut record, Benthic Horizon, was plagued by an awful production, tepid songwriting and pacing issues. 2014’s Depths was an incremental advancement, yet still bromidic. Fast forward four years and German death-metallers Ichor meet us face to face once more with Hadal Ascending.” Under the SEA!
