When it comes to an album’s opening track, you want something that will draw you in and make you want to continue listening to the rest of the piece. However, the first track of Sermons To Death, which is the new album from Goat Torment, does leave you wondering if there is actually any point to it – it’s a nigh-on inaudible piece consisting of almost four minutes of ambience.
Thankfully, Sermons To Death does improve from there and the first actual track, Bones Aligned, is a much more rewarding listen. The furious momentum behind it is something to behold and whilst the sound clarity isn’t top-notch, there’s no denying the passion and energy within the track, and for the most part, things progress well from there. As a whole, this is a great blend of black and doom metal that stays with you for a while after you’ve finished listening.
Unfortunately the album does hit a bit of a snag in the middle with a second “silent” track containing almost nothing, just like the opening song. Admittedly on my first listen of the album I wondered if that was it and felt disappointed at the album length – before realising it was a filler track when the following song eventually kicked in. It just isn’t a great approach to take with an album and it’s definitely a struggle to maintain interest throughout as a result.
Somewhat predictably, the album also ends with the same ambience and it does feel like a bit of a cop-out; a lazy finish to an album that could have been an engaging listen if it wasn’t for the unnecessary ambient moments. It’s a shame because when the band are going at full force, Sermons To Death is a release to be reckoned with.
5/10
