Golgotha - Hubris

Golgotha is a Gothic doom metal band from Spain, who formed in 1992.  Their latest album, “Hubris,” is their 7th full-length album; they have also released three demos, four EPs, and a live album. 

I’m a new fan of this band—I discovered them with their previous album, “Spreading the Wings of Hope.”  As good as that album was, “Hubris,” is even better.  Gothic doom was my first foray into the genre and, as such, I’ve always been fond of the “beauty and the beast,” approach.  I’m aware the style is very tried and very true but some things are timeless…and why fix what isn’t broken?

María J. Lladó has a unique style to them—her inflection and tone is epic with a lot of expressive power behind them.  Bassist Andrew Spinosa’s death growls are on point: brutal but intelligible.

“A Simple Life,” takes the Gothic doom blueprint and throws in a catchy chorus.  I like how the keys/ambience sink into the very fabric of the song yet allows plenty of room for the heavier moments.  Chunky riffs and solemn leads carry the song across these cold, atmospheric waters.  This song also reveals a tasty little element that appears across the album: insanely awesome guitar solos that are one part shredding and another part doom as hell.  

“Broken Toy,” hits hard with a sound that just envelopes; the spaces between the riffs speak just as loudly.  But this dark beauty lives side by side with chugging death metal riffs–the dance among the two styles ebbs and flows with a catchy cadence that usually music like this has trouble hitting.  From the spoken word passage around the 3:24 mark to the end, the song hits its stride by providing a dour mood with optimum headbanging moments.  Who says doom can’t rock as hard as anything else?

Speaking of which, “Empty Minds,” is a violent outburst of aggression that was a nice surprise compared to the precious three songs.  The band lends into its death metal side hard but just as it feels like the damn is going to burst, the band pulls back and lets the Gothic doom shine before going into a passage that can easily be called blackened.  There isn’t anything wrong with doom being aggressive and I like the song for this very reason.

“Blind,” is the shortest and most “to the point” song on the album but that also means it gives a great overview of what the album is offering—if you like this song, you’ll have no issues with the rest of them.  

The album ends with “Intolerance,” and the riffs grabbed me from the very first second, with their deft grasp of Gothic harmonies and drums that threatened to bring it all down.  The death growls and guitars/bass run together seamlessly, and exciting double punch to the throat and ears.  But the cleans and atmospheric elements find their place too, especially near the end. 

Golgotha’s “Hubris,” doesn’t break any new ground but what it is done, it does very well.  Anyone who still graves the classic sound of Gothic/Melodic death doom, definitely needs to add this album to their collection.  It’s all killer, no filler form beginning to end while giving fans of the style exactly what they need. 

Rating:  Great