30th November 2024

Review: “Goatslayer” by Fireblood

“The name Fireblood comes from drinking whiskey, the demon drink. And demons have fire in their veins.” ~ Fireblood

They may already have an EP in “Hellalujah” under their collective bullet belts in 2024 but when you’re in a rich vein of creativity why stop at that? Formed in 2023 by husband-and-wife duo Mike (guitar) and Angel Rot (bass), along with Thomas Stanfel (drums) and Travis Overcash (vocals), it seems that North Carolina Sludge quartet Fireblood intend on making their presence felt with sophomore offering “Goatslayer“. Recorded at Elkin Sound Studio, mixed by Brandon Hamby (Wine Pride, Gurthworm, Occult Fracture) and mastered by Dave Harris (Black Tusk, Kylesa, Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13) of Studio B, the promise is of something meaner and more extreme take on the genre.

Mumbling through clean vocal passages like Chris Cornell trapped in a fever dream Overcash has an intriguing style that draws you in as “A Perfect Place For Death” pays out. Atonal guitars and rumbling low end bass creating a foreboding atmosphere but it’s his almost unhinged vocals that make all the difference on this one. Who doesn’t love a pick slide? having one to usher in the groove laden “Death Comes Rolling” is a nice touch, the exploration of death and the choices one makes to survive in the lyrical narrative something that will have you reading the lyric sheet once your ears stop ringing. While there isn’t a chorus that gets into your head, the gut punch of a breakdown or a face melting solo, there is enough here to keep even the most bloodthirsty Metal head sustained, the quality of the churning riffs bordering on Stoner Doom Metal. A slow burn from the start “Burning Underground” grinds at Doom fuelled riffs as it crawls out from under the weight of the World like a beast climbing from a tar pit. A false ending offers escape into mid tempo grooves, the throaty vocals as Southern as they come. After that lumbering, almost hypnotic tune another one in a similar vein doesn’t necessarily sound like a great idea however the seven minute surpassing “A.I.G.O.D” is actually the finest of this collection of burnt offerings. An atmosphere as dark and crushing at a black hole is at its beating black heart, the band dredging the lake in search of corpses with their slow, monstrous grooves. Overcash has a snarled vocal on this one that makes a real difference, this one pushing the boundaries of their sound in a more occult direction [7/10]

Track Listing