Goatpenis: Inhumanization (2004)

Some time ago I reviewed a live album by Goatpenis, and I will decline to make fun of their name this time around.  I have always felt that live albums were not really the best introductions to bands, because there is often a fairly significant difference between how a band sounds live and how they sound in a recording studio.  In this case, there were a couple of issues that I had with the production in particular.  As it turns out, that live album was pretty damn close to how Goatpenis sounds in a recording studio.  Weird.

This is the Brazilian band's first full-length album and it is every bit as raw and violent as I would have expected based on the live recording.  The album kicks off with a message dealing with the first experiment with a hydrogen bomb.  From there we are off and running.  The songs are full of unbridled aggression with rampaging riffs and pounding drums.  Everything is furious and savage, with no time for such trivial things as melody and subtlety. 

Oddly, some of the issues that I had that I thought were just production issues on the live release are present here as well.  For one, the bass is really buried in the mix.  There is very little bottom end at all.  Secondly, the vocals still have kind of a weird muffled echo sound to them.  They take a little getting used to.  The final issue with the release is one that was not present on the live action, and that is the over-reliance on samples prior to the songs.  Each song starts off with a sample from what sounds mostly like war movies.  Each of these samples lasts far longer than one would expect and it kind of kills any momentum the band is building.  It makes it kind of difficult to really get into the album.

I was surprised at just how much this release sounds like the live recording.  I am still trying to decide how I really feel about this band.  I like the albums I have heard from them, but I still find myself somewhat disappointed. 

Goatpenis: Live in Brazilian Ritual - Third Attack (2016)

Goatpenis huh? 

Yep, Goatpenis. 

Goatpenis is a Brazilian blackened death metal band whose sound fits in well with the "war metal" moniker.  It certainly helps that the band uses a LOT of militaristic imagery and lyrical content.  I have actually been attempting to track down a Goatpenis release for some time, after seeing their admittedly awesome-looking logo everywhere lately.  I figured the universe was trying to tell me something.  However, their stuff is not easy to find in my preferred format.  This was the first one I could find.

Now, this is a live album and it is my first listening experience with Goatpenis.  Live albums are not normally the best way to introduce yourself to a band.  The last one I did this with was Black Witchery, and that live album was kind of a mess, though I later discovered how great that band is.  Unfortunately, this is the only Goatpenis release that has popped up so far so I took a shot at it. 

Unfortunately, this is likely to be one of those live albums that does not do the band justice.  I'm assuming that anyway.  The biggest issue is not the songs, but the sound quality.  It is quite clear that these songs are supposed to be punishing and intense, reflecting the harsh subject matter.  But there is a complete lack of any bottom end that saps the energy that is likely there.  In addition, the vocals can hardly be heard and there is some sort of odd pitch-shifted effect to them.  That might sound okay in a studio-recorded release, but does not really work here.

It is not all bad though.  The latter quarter of the album is filled with some songs whose intensity manages to shine through anyway.  "Roman Revenge" featuring Impurath of Black Witchery on vocals is probably the best of these songs, with a terrific opening riff.  The rest of the release follows suit.

So, this is probably not the best representation of Goatpenis's sound.  I will keep my eyes open for some of the other releases in the future.