King Goat - Conduit (2016 Full Album)

Brighton’s King Goat are a Doom band like no other. Their willingness to think outside the box and create meaningful melodies that go beyond the generic formatting of their contemporaries made them ones to watch when their self-titled EP came out in early 2014. Fast forward two years and they’re back with their long-awaited full length Conduit. Let’s just cut to the chase. Conduit is probably the finest piece of work that we’ve received from UK-based Doom five-piece King Goat. That’s certainly saying something if we consider that the last two EPs received huge praise across the board. This time around, though, it feels like they have found their feet and centered their energy on the 40 minutes of dark, doom-drenched material stretched across five tracks.The opening track, “Flight Of The Deviants,” can only really be described as a doom epic. It is slow-paced, miserable, bluesy and doom-ridden to the core. Trim’s vocals fit perfectly, bringing a classical, almost operatic, feel while soaring above the rather sombre instrumentation. On the flip-side, when this powerhouse of a vocalist isn’t singing clean and switches to rough growls or piercing screams, it all still works without seeming corny or try-hard. The five tracks expand over 40 minutes into a vast galaxy of overlapping styles and textures. From the sublimely hazy and crushingly bluesy opening track “Flight Of The Deviants“, vocalist Trim oozes love all over these songs. His Åkerfeldt-esque vocal soars over the low and tumbling rhythm sections whilst his rougher growls bring the two together. “Feral King” is a darker still; an all-encapsulating fog swallows all in a vortex of swirling riffs and drum blasts.The monstrous title track is perhaps the most memorable offering on the album with it’s killer opening riff, enthralling Eastern-tinges and haunting choir passages. It’s a fine example of an utterly incredible doom track. That said, “Revenants” is a masterpiece in itself with its multiple layers and variations of tempo and vocal delivery. Every track on Conduit is packed with substance and feeling. There’s very little empty space and few wasted moments within the songs. Although many doom bands fall into the trap of becoming samey, King Goat are actually, well, interesting. Pop this album on with headphones, and prepare to get transported to another world.01. Flight Of The Deviants - 0:0002. Feral King - 8:1103. Conduit - 15:3604. Revenants - 23:0905. Sanguine Path - 32:32.