Announcing the Neo-Aeon

Apparently some material for this Rio hailing black metal group was previously used in a death metal project called Strangulator. But info for Goat Emperor is scarce and they unfortunately never got out of the demo stage. So, the ideology is as pitch black as the darkest recesses of the night but has music that resembles thick and moody death metal along the lines of early Septic Flesh from Greece.

The sound quality on their second demo from '95 is a low one and has some hiss. Though the main culprit is the guitars, which produce a cyclone of static that's sometimes nearly impossible to trace around during the deeper rhythms. The recording equipment is restricted but the band is fairly tight and this is worked through in their composition unlike what usually comes with the former. The rest of the instruments have a "lo-fi clarity," such as the bass guitar being more prominent and followable. The drums are mainly snare and bass drums with some lost cymbal hits. Even with that said, it adds a certain obscured atmosphere that wouldn't overcome potato chip crunches or max-out a stereo, but still has capability of enchanting senses with a particular dark mysteriousness that one can get immersed in.

The main momentums tapped into are a slow crawl and middle pacing that still somewhat drag one into its malevolent pit. Though others give off more surging energy and a few escalate to blasts. The band is up and down with their speeds and usually unfold one before stepping into the next. That's probably the reason for two tracks here exceeding eight minutes. This has its fair share of weighted instrumentation and the occasional area of melody. The thicker stringed rhythms don't always come through but the higher notes and leads are played often and give off a spacey, transcending projection due to a saturation of effects. The main vocals are a deep growl that are often extended to match the underlying flow. There are also raspier screams that effectively contrast the music by bringing a certain intensity to the table.

Goat Emperor's "Announcing the Neo-Aeon" is fairly involving even with distant sound quality. Though compared to the last demo, the guitars being hidden is a disappointment. It's something that I got used to as what's encased still contains encompassing music that's more than gravitating atmospherically.