Release
date: March 03rd 2017. Label: Opoponax Records. Format:
CD/Vinyl
Harvester
Of Bongloads – Tracklisting
1.Omen: I. Strange
Geometry, II. Fade Away, III. Life Disintegrates 20:07
2.Germination 02:18
3.Misanthropy On
High 11:46
4.Disease 06:21
Band
Members
Jeff
Owens - vocals/guitar
Nick
Lose - drums
Sonny
DeCarlo - bass
Review
Goya’s
third album – Harvester Of Bongloads – sees the band take a more
stripped back and minimalist approach with four songs of heavy
Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal. It’s experimental at times though it
still offers the heavy doomed out sounds that Goya have become known
for. The album lasts forty minutes but the album feels twice as long
though in a good way.
Opening
track – Omen: I. Strange Geometry, II. Fade Away, III. Life
Disintegrates – is a twenty minute plus opus that allows Goya to
slowly create a heavy psychedelic atmosphere. Pounding drums and
slowly played riffs slowly drift in and out for a cautious approach.
Ambient trippy sounds blend in the background seamlessly with the
swirling doom and gloom riffs.
The
doom metal riffs appear around the five minute mark with Jeff’s
vocals making a welcome return. This song is broken down into
individual chapters and as the song changes tone and direction at
different parts of the song. You can still expect a fair amount of
sludge based and fuzz driven riffs. The lyrics have quite a topical
and political feel as Goya don’t shy away from difficult subjects
on the album.
Second
track – Germination – sees Goya opting for a more direct heavy
Doom Metal sound that stays heavy throughout despite the short two
minute runtime. It’s a shame this song doesn’t last longer as
Goya manage to create a cool instrumental and progressive psych sound
that leaves you wanting more.
Third
track – Misanthropy On High – is an eleven minute epic with Goya
creating another round of heavy distorted doom guitars with sludgy
riffs adding a sense of realism. The atmosphere stays bleak
throughout the album but this song really drives that sense home. The
vocals are delivered with conviction with hard-hitting lyrics to
match.
The
fourth track – Disease – sees Goya play one final round of heavy
doom/sludge grooves that merges progressive stoner based sounds. With
Black Sabbath sadly retiring and Sleep taking forever to release a
new album, it’s cool that Goya are around to show the next
generation of Doom/Sludge/Stoner bands in how to deliver a first
class Doom Metal album.
This album sees Goya finally come of out of
the shadows from their more famous peers and to stake a claim for one
of the best Doom Metal bands around.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Goya for the promo. Harvester Of Bongloads will be available to
buy on CD/Vinyl via Opoponax Records from March 03rd 2017.
Links:
