ALBUM REVIEW: Pythagoras – Goatchrist

Yorkshire’s GOATCHRIST are one of the many hidden gems within the UK’s thriving black metal scene. Formed back in 2014, the one man act have had a prolific recording career, in spite of two brief hiatuses. In the wake of their recent return, the band have showed a marked change in direction, with their initial releases, the singles Worlds and the monolithic Revolt Against the Modern World, showing a shift away from the blackened death metal that characterised their early years and heading down a far more experimental and progressive route. The band’s long awaited debut full length, Pythagoras, takes the band further into this new musical territory, with some great, impressive results.

The Initiation of Pythagoras by Thoth Hermes Tresmegistus acts as a short introductory track, built around a grandiose keyboard section that really makes for a powerful sound and sets the listener up for what’s to come. Worlds, the first full track on the record, takes the monolithic feel of the opener and blends it with murky, caustic black metal with bleak guitar hooks, bellicose vocals and some well placed keyboards that add plenty of melodic flourishes into the mix. With vocals that jump between shrill howls and haunting clean passages, and lots of great, catchy lead riffs, it’s a track that makes the most of its length, adding lots of experimental elements into the sound, which gives an indication of the new direction the bands sound is heading in early on.

The Tetractys, with its lighter, more upbeat tone, sees the band take a massive step away from the traditional black metal sound and fully embrace a more avant garde approach to songwriting, with acoustic guitars and energetic percussion creating a brilliant backdrop to some subtle electric guitars and feral vocals. It’s a striking contrast that works very well, and it’s hard not to get drawn into the music. Pythagorean Solids is another short sharp shock of a song, with some excellent melodic black metal parts intertwining with dancing keyboard sections, making for a dark, yet undeniably epic piece of music that ties together the best of both their older, raw black metal style and their newer, progressive edge. Introduction to Numbers acts as an instrumental piece that bridges the gap between the albums first and second half quite well, with a disjointed piano motif being the focal point of the sound, providing a brief but brilliant break in the record.

Numbers is by far and away the most intense and rabid track on this record thus far. intricate drumming, frenetic guitars and acidic vocals all combine to create a whirlwind of chaotic, cacophonous musicianship that still manages to pepper its sound with some fantastic keys, giving a semblance of melody in amongst the maelstrom of monstrous, melancholy tinged black metal. It ebbs and flows between fast and furious parts and more measured, mid-tempo ones, and has an eclectic mix of styles that all work incredibly well and don’t overpower each other, making this an instantly memorable track.

Harmony of the Spheres, with its hypnotic, beguiling ambience and minimalist approach to the music, is a fantastic piece of music that shows that this band are more than capable of making extremely good songs even with the most rudimentary of sounds. Soaring keyboards are the sole element utilised here, with a couple of chords and a few sparse notes thrown in for good measure, and it still manages to grab the listeners attention, proving to be a thoroughly engrossing piece of music. Metempsychosis, the albums penultimate track, is an impressive example of how atmospheric black metal should be done, with a primal sound complementing glorious keyboard sections perfectly. Some cleaner guitars begin to make their presence known as the track progresses, adding a slight, yet noticeable, experimental side to this song, injecting some great motifs into an already heady mix of different musical styles. The keyboards become far more adventurous and prominent as the song reaches its climax, giving the second half of this song some of its more interesting and impressive moments.

The Death of Pythagoras brings the album to a close with a slow burning, glorious epic, with plenty of great keyboard sections, haunting, clean vocals and some equally ethereal guitars, all of which give this song a grandiose and engrossing sound. The song seems to come to a close after a few minutes, but, after a brief, silent interlude, gives way to a hidden track comprised of great bass hooks, distorted vocals and keyboards which are all evocative of 80’s electronic music, ending this album on a note to showcases the bands talent for creating off kilter and imaginative music.

As far as comeback records go, GOATCHRIST are a band that have managed to not only return every bit as good as they always have been, but have also done a fantastic job of reinventing their sound and style in a way that sets them apart from many other bands within the UK scene. Many times, when a band makes a significant stylistic change to their music, it doesn’t pay off, or at least alienates their core fan base; this is one of the rare cases where a shift in style pays off and, if anything, makes the music all the more engrossing and memorable. It’s still got one foot firmly planted in the black metal sound, but with plenty of experimental leanings making for a far more diverse and impressive sound. And with a follow up EP, Meditate Well!, coming hot off the heels of this record less than a month after its release, it’s clear that the band are back to their prolific ways, and aren’t running out of ideas any time soon.

Rating: 8/10

Pythagoras is out now via self-release.

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