Fireblood - Goatslayer

Fireblood is a doom/sludge band from Charlotte, North Carolina.  Last year I reviwed their debut EP "Hellalujah," and gave it high marks. They have returned with their second EP "Goatslayer," and it's 21 minute of sludgy, groovy doom/sludge metal.

Without a doubt, the band has upped their game in every conceivable way! Somehow the band found a way to take their formula and make it even more intense---these four songs are absolutely redonkulous in their density; each riff feels like it is moving the Earth. It's not just the guitars though---every instrument is pushed to the next level.

The appeal of the band, at least for me, is their southern roots are just straight up nasty---abrasive sludge and crushing doom but it's also catchy as hell. It might be a groove, a scream, or even the snap of the rhythm breaking the bones of the ears but the band always makes their songs memorable. 

Production is balanced too---raw, no doubt but with a depth to it that helps capture the massive swells of unrelenting power that comes in waves, cresting against the force of backwoods metal.

The album opens with "A Perfect Place For Death."  The beginning is scary and ominous but the Thomas' drums quickly help the song settle into a riff fest and rough clean vocals. There is a slight stoner metal vibe to the song but it's more "take me to get my stomach pumped" than "whoa man, I have the munchies"

Travis' vocals are more than fitting for the music and he flows through a variety of inflections and tones. 

Talk of the ever approaching end continues with "Death Comes Rolling." This songs pick up intensity as Angel Rot's bass rolls along, picking up every dark thing and pushing it over to Mike Rot, who spits it out with a venom that's as potent and engaging as it is searing.

The chorus is one of the best on the album and it's followed by short, quick bursts from the riffs and vocals. 

"Burning Underground" is the definition of how doom/sludge can be as dark and scary as even the most extreme of metal. This song is slow as hell but had a certain energy to it that is threatening to burst as the seems; the gates of hell are holding but they are shaking and bending.

The final song is "A.I .G.O.D." and it's one of their best songs. The vocals are wild---definitely adds a ferocity to the hypnotic dirge that is the composition, especially the later half.

I just can't wait for Fireblood to put out a full-length. If "Goatslayer" is any indication, the band is going to up their game again. 

Rating: Excellent