By: AvNatten

Posted: Oct 17, 2006

Those steamy swamps of New Orleans just keep churning out great bands and great albums. It makes you sit back and wonder what it is about the historic city that makes it a breeding ground for such great music. Is it in the water? Or is it just the overall atmosphere of such a magnificent place that has more culture and atmosphere in a condensed area that a lot of other places could only dream of having. "A Haunting Curse" is the third album by these southern sons who like their metal raw, fast, and blackened.
 
Right away when the first track starts you can hear that the production on this album is a little less clinical and much more full and sharp than on previous releases. Gone are the eerie interludes that were once between the songs but bits and pieces of atmospheric creepiness still remains. "A Haunting Curse" is an in your face, mad bull of an album that is waiting and ready to run you over with no remorse. The sludgy down tuned guitar riffs that have become a trademark of the New Orleans sound, are included along with pulverizing blast beats and the insane vocals that tie the whole package together. Though the guitar work doesn't break new ground it is great nonetheless, thick riffs that mutate into thrashy paces paired up with some lightening fast fret work. The musicians are exceptional at their instruments and it shows as each track unfolds. The songs fly past with an unrelenting intensity which works to the bands advantage, if more time had been spent on each track the listener would most likely become bored due to the monotony.
 
'In The Narrow Confines Of Defilement' vocalist Ben Falgoust II unleashes a vocal fury that cuts through the instruments which touch on some of the musical aspects that make black metal so great, melancholic midpaced riffing highlights the track. 'Bloodletting Upon The Cloven Hoof' tears out of your speakers with speedy Scandinavian inspired tremolo picking and bone breaking blast beats and double pedal work. There are pace changes abound but there is still that special something that is missing that would complete the tracks and push them over the boundaries into new territory that Goatwhore have yet to explore.
 
Although Goatwhore have fallen victim to constant criticism due to their not bringing anything fresh to the black metal table they can still write an album that will pummel your ears and leave your senses shaking. Writing a new chapter in the book of black metal has not been a priority for the band, they would rather draw from their influences and create an album that they enjoy listening to themselves and if the rest of us like it then that's fine too!

Rating: 8/10

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