Formed in 2013 and promptly getting to work on a split tape and two successive demos, GOATHAMMER have been a study of staunch underground ethics from the very beginning. Theirs is a sound that's steeped in decades of arcane black/death wisdom, canvassing an array of eras and international flavors whilst being finessed into foul, filthy form by true fanatics. As such, Ceremony of Morbid Destruction is the grand, garish culmination of GOATHAMMER's noble work thus far. Here, the quartet prove they're more than just an identikit "goat"/bestial band; there's a sulfurous aura and true dungeon-bound darkness that bespeak the ancient ways of the 1990s, but completely unselfconsciously so. Sure, the swarming violence of Blasphemy is certainly detectable, but more so is the hammering disgust of legendary labelmates PROFANATICA; likewise, the crude magick of classic Ungod coexists alongside the frantic misery of old M?tiilation. Which is all to say that, despite the signposts being clear, GOATHAMMER possess the unique elan to conjure a sensation that evokes both nostalgia and newness, and above all, put forth an identity that's theirs alone and offering boundless exploration of those depths for the future.
