Time Signature Sodomized till death...

Genre: thrash metal

Enter the aptly named Swedish metal act Goatsodomizer. I guess they like goats a lot... I won't judge them. Anyway, they have been sodomizing goats in the underground since 1995 and have just released their debut full-length "The Curse Rings True".

Now, the name and the cover art might suggest black metal, but "The Curse Rings True" is actually more of a speed-thrash metal album. There are black metal elements every now and then, to be sure, but the thrash metal influence is dominant. Even more surprisingly perhaps, there is a considerable influence from hard rock as well. This is felt in the guitar solos, for instance, which sometimes even border on being bluesy. At times, the album reminds me a bit of Entombed's "Wolverine Blues"; that is probably because of the rock influence. An interesting track is their rendering of Gary Glitter's 'Sidewalk Sinner' which, in Goatsodomizer's version is groovy as hell. Overall, this album works pretty well, and Goatsodomizer have found a nice balance between the genres they draw on, with thrash metal being dominant at the end of the day.

The production is actually pretty good, and the songs are well put together. Overall, this is an enjoyable album.