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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.

Hailing from San Diego, California, Joe Daly is an award-winning music journalist with over thirty years experience. Since 2010, Joe has been a regular contributor for Metal Hammer, penning cover features, news stories, album reviews and other content. Joe also writes for Classic Rock, Bass Player, Men’s Health and Outburn magazines. He has served as Music Editor for several online outlets and he has been a contributor for SPIN, the BBC and a frequent guest on several podcasts. When he’s not serenading his neighbours with black metal, Joe enjoys playing hockey, beating on his bass and fawning over his dogs.