Somebody owes Goatess frontman Christus Linderson a profuse apology.
A friend informed him that the Catholic Church had declared that Purgatory no longer exists, inspiring the title of his latest outing, but the Catholic Church have done no such thing. Nonetheless, straight from the druggy sprawl of opener Moth To Flame, Purgatory… serves up a roaring feast of ginormous stoner riffs and pendulous grooving.
Galloping belters like Silent War and the psychedelic voyaging of Good Moaning invite immediate comparisons to Black Sabbath, but, parallels aside, Purgatory… conjures an unrelentingly dark vortex of resinous riffs, trippy melodies and surging, prog-tilted tempos that manage to both enthral and occasionally surprise.
Though exceedingly light on originality, Purgatory…’s obvious homage doesn’t detract from its joyful celebration of the iconic sound that has ushered so many to the gates of heavy metal.
