REVIEW: Goat - Goat

When it comes to fusion rock, the line between creating a full and hearty masterpiece that’s packed with jaw-dropping genre-bending segments and making a pile of scattered mess is very thin. It’s what makes fusion rock either so beautiful or so woeful, but when it comes to Swedish fusion rock band Goat and their latest, self-titled, project, they've shown that they most certainly know how to produce the former. Not much is known about the Swedish alternative group - we don’t even know the definite number of members within the band. However, even upon the first listen it’s impossible to ignore the group's chemistry, which is not only at the forefront of their sound but also firmly found hand in hand with the talent of each member. The album doesn’t even feel like a project in places, devolving almost into a jam between friends from all different genres and walks of life, united by a love of music.

Throughout their new album, Goat have displayed how good music is far more than just a few sound waves that vibrate nicely when they hit our ears; they’ve shown us that real music has a feeling to it; it has a soul, it has character. This is made especially evident no more than halfway through the first song on the album as the mind-altering samples wash over you like a sort of psychedelic which is swiftly followed by a guitar and keyboard solo which sound almost intertwined, it's through the song ‘One More Death’ that we realise that this is not just any old intro track, but a gateway into their vast and palpable musical world.

The term 'palpable' is not used loosely here, as moments on this album utilise a plethora of instrumentals and styles of play that, when fused together, will have you feeling on the verge of overwhelmed. There are moments in each song where instruments really have their opportunity to shine such as the horns and woodwind on ‘Goatbrain’ which provide off a relaxed but thick jazz fusion, the thin but heavily distorted guitar tone on ‘Dollar Bill’, which when mixed with some wah gives off a furious growl similar to that of an exotic big cat, or the use of bongos mixed with the keyboard and guitar in ‘Frisco Beaver', which make for an absolutely monstrous fusion track.

But it’s not all fast-pace and guns blazing on this album - tracks such as ‘Fool’s Journey’ and ‘The All Is One’ are two of their more relaxed tracks, and they each offer a nice calming and chill vibe in their own way. On the one hand, ‘Fool’s Journey’ uses what sounds like a bamboo flute, as well as some classical piano and incredibly soft drums to create a soothing oriental vibe, all to construct the perfect environment for your brain to switch off and allow the music to take control. Yet with ‘The All Is One’, the use of birds as an audio sample paired with the acoustic guitar gives off a very warm energy; one that can be compared to listening to music around a campfire with friends, and what makes it ever better is the echoed guitar seeping into the mix, adding a sense of nostalgia and closure to the project. It’s as if Goat are saying a near goodbye with this track, before they swiftly kick into the outro track, ‘Ouroboros’.

While the instrumental ability displayed on this album is nothing short of pure instrumental prowess, it almost has to be in order to support the vocals at points as they can occasionally come across as strained or shrill. Granted, the beauty of a band (particularly one spanning so many genres and instruments) is that if one member sounds lacking in any way, the others members can fill up that space and make the album sound more full, but when you have a group that's so diverse in sound and all these different sounds are being hurled at you in unison, it’s often up to the vocalist to provide that cherry on top. Unfortunately on this album, it just doesn’t have that lead vocalist quality in some songs, and the vocals often get trumped by the guitars or keyboards instead. Don’t be mistaken, it doesn’t feel like the singer is an accessory that could be done without on this album, simply just that there's more potential to be unlocked.

If you’re a fan of fusion rock then this likely going to be for you - alternatively, if you’ve never listened to it before and need an album to break the ice, then this could also well be for you. Goat have really hit the nail on the head of what makes a good fusion rock album by combining multiple elements from instruments spanning across genres to make an album that is hearty, yet not overbearing. While in places the vocals do sound slightly lacking, we can confidently say that whether you’re in the mood for something that sounds kick ass and has a sense of swagger about it like ‘One More Death’ and ‘Frisco Beaver’ or something more relaxing such as ‘Fool's Journey’ or ‘The All is One’, these guys have you covered.

'Goat' will be released on October 11th via Rocket Recordings.

Words: Alex Walden

Photos: Goat