Year of the Goat

Angel’s Necropolis (Van)

With the rise of Ghost, the Devil’s Blood, Sabbath Assembly, and other melody-minded occult rockers, horns-throwers can pinpoint a movement of sorts. Add Year of the Goat to the decadent line of kings drawing blood from obscure forebears like Black Widow and Coven, where soaring hooks and prog structures entwine with metallic atmosphere and troglodyte bluntness. The Goat differs from its brethren in refusing to put cloven tongue in sunken cheek, thus trading raised eyebrows for irony-free occult pop, including “I’ll Die for You” and “Spirits of Fire,” plus powerhouse epics “Voice of a Dragon” and the title track. ***

This article appears in February 8 • 2013.

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Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.