If you’re looking for music that doesn’t just sound good, but also takes hold of you and reaches all the way down to your soul, Goat Farm’s new album, “Are We Damned?” (released June 20) is an excellent place to start. The stoner metal group based in Rochester has outdone itself with a collection that manages to be both heavy and ethereal in the same note. It’s atmospheric, sludgy and lyrically inspiring, commanding attention and demanding action in a world that feels like it’s running out of time.
“Are We Damned?” begins with “Intro,” a low and angry chugging track that builds adrenaline in the veins. This instrumental beginning highlights the talents of guitarists Molly Mink and Sage Alice and drummer Stephen Coleman. Their contributions blend into what can only be described as “grungy doom.” Is this the soundtrack to the end of the world?
Goat Farm isn’t holding back with this release. Each song stands in unity with one another, yet remains strong on their own, like the aggressive and mosh-worthy “Obsessions” or the intense and evocative “Unlivable Future/No More Pigs.” Vocals from Mimi Snyder are beautiful and haunting throughout the album, transitioning from rough to clean without missing a beat. Heavy as “Are We Damned?” is, “Self-Defense” stands out for being, gentler in sound, like a macabre lullaby. It’s not without its power though, worming its way down to the bone.
The ambient “Stolen Land” is a dramatic and satisfying outro to the album, foreboding in its composition. When will the cycle break? / We must act before it’s too late, Snyder serenades like an angel yet screams like a demon, refusing to fall on deaf ears. Her heart-rending vocals feel cinematic and otherworldly. At the end of the album, Goat Farm recedes. But the group’s grasp remains.
