Weregoat - "Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication" (Vault of Dried Bones/Iron Bonehead Productions/Parasitic Records, 2017)

Band: Weregoat
Title: Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication
Genre: Bestial Black/Death Metal
Year: 5th May 2017
Time: 38 min
Rating: 91/100













2017 is to be considered an year truly amazing for the bestial black/death metal genre. In fact, its fans have to choose among many cults as young promises like Barbaric Horde, veterans as Death Worship, bands which confirm again their inherent bestiality with a sophomore album like Goatblood or other ones that have released, finally, their debut album after many years into the ranks as Necroblood. And Weregoat falls under this last category since they are a trio born in 2009 emerging from the very vital extreme metal scene of Portland, Oregon, already strong of bands like Shroud of the Heretic, Triumvir Foul or Ritual Necromancy. Well, Weregoat, after many efforts, have released some months ago their devastating full-lenght album "Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication", edited on CD by the Canadian label Vault of Dried Bones (unfortunately closed just in these days) and on tape and vinyl by Iron Bonehead Prod in co-operation with the US Parasitic Records. But do you remember that I anticipated this review into my article about "Abhorrent Manifestation" of Ascended Dead, where the same Weregoat's singer/bassist plays now?


Including 10 numbers, "Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication", during the first moments, seem to be a more chaotic version of the classic "Vengeance War Till Death" of Bestial Warlust, spewing forth an intensity and a brutality so absurd to chill even the most expert listeners also because you can hear the first mid-tempos of the album only in the 3th track "Molested by Evil". Then, you discover a band very imaginative and able to build a tracklist really perfect and full of ideas, also if respecting every cliché of the bestial black/death metal.

As a result of all this, there is a lot of songs to mention. As "Osculum Infame", which has a main riff in a thrash metal style but played in a panic speed. Or "Forked Tongue Lashes Between the Virgin Thighs", a song incredibly well structured able, thanks to a phenomenal drummer called Sadoseducer, to range from abyssic doom tempos to martial rhythmics and the usual excruciating blast-beats. Instead, the next "At Fullmoon She Bleeds" surprises due to a tight, hysterical and, actually, technical guitarwork, and I have to say that this is my favorite number (strong also of a guitar solo a bit melodic than the usual) of the entire album (below, you can watch the videoclip of this track). Then, "Malediction Command" scares because the vocals of Nocturnal Hellfuker (the main singer) and Leacherous Aggressor, already strongly bestial with their carnage formed of tortured screams and cavern-like growls, are here deprived of every trace of humanity thanks to some vocal effects. The next is "As Cold as the Devils Seed", a song very sui generis for a band like Weregoat because it is an haunting mid-tempo without every kind of fast tempos, before the ultimate extermination represented by the same titletrack, where there is another fantastic performance by the drummer, which here works very well with the tom-toms, ending all this bloodshed with an atomic bomb so to crush definitely the entire human race.

I could talk and talk about this album but the time has come for the conclusions. And I conclude that "Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication" is one of the better bestial black/death metal albums of this 2017 due to a mix between barbaric intensity and creativity rarely so relevant in this genre and counting also an incredible series of moments and riffs truly memorable. The only song that I don't like entirely is "Molested by Evil" which, enough full of feral restarts, is maybe too long. Now, Weregoat are preparing to some live shows, one in Oakland to support the Norwegian cult Aura Noir on 28th October for their North American Tour, and another one in Seattle in occasion of the Hording of Evil Vengeance Fest where, on 17th November, they will share the stage with bands such as the Canadians Antichrist, Nexul and even the funny Nekrodrunkz. And, according to a post on their FB page written in July 2016, it seem that Weregoat were working also on a split LP along with the mighty Necroholocaust, and I hope that it will be released very soon.

Tracklist:

1 - Goatlust Invocation
2 - Osculum Infame
3 - Molested by Evil
4 - Screaming Forth Endless Blasphemies and Emitting Foul Seed Upon the Pitiful Face of Benevolence
5 - Forked Tongue Lashes Between the Virgin Thighs
6 - At Fullmoon She Bleeds
7 - Under the Whip
8 - Malediction Command
9 - As Cold as the Devils Seed
10 - Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication

Line-up:

Nocturnal Hellfuker - vocals/bass
Leacherous Aggressor - guitars/vocals
Sadoseducer - drums

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Weregoat/194437767248125
BandCamp: https://weregoat.bandcamp.com/
Iron Bonehead Prod: http://www.ironbonehead.de/
Parasitic Records: http://parasiticrecords.blogspot.com/
Vault of Dried Bones: https://www.vaultofdriedbones.com/

If you want, make a donation to Timpani allo Spiedo 'zine through the PayPal button, above the cover artwork of my upcoming book about proto-black metal. Thank you very much!