Release Date: April 25th 2025. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: CD/DD.
Aloft - Tracklisting
1.Zohar 02:50
2.Betty 04:40
3.Jim 05:14
4.Travis 05:39
5.Ariel 06:19
6.Barney 05:04
7.Charles 03:51
Members:
Ivan Flores - Voice / Guitars
Ruth Moya - Drums / Lyrics
Review
Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers Greengoat return with their new album Aloft which is based upon the groundbreaking studies of Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John Mack on alien abductions. This is a conceptual album based on individual cases which allows Greengoat to conjure a more complex Psychedelic sound compared to their acclaimed 2024 debut album A.I. That album as well was a conceptual album about the use of artificial intelligence and I was quite surprised the band focused their attention upon Alien Abductions.
However, like their debut album, Aloft is a heavy and emotionally charged journey with Post-Rock rhythms and superb Post-Doom melodies which branches out into other areas of Stoner Rock/Metal with some cool sounding freaky passages and sonic landscapes coming into play on the first two opening tracks of Zohar and Betty. Greengoat have an interesting creative dynamic with Ruth Moya writing the lyrics and Ivan Flores providing vocals throughout. This gives the record a more daring and insightful commentary within the Post-Doom/Stoner Metal world.
However, let’s focus on the music in hand. As Greengoat blend Alt Rock, Art Rock, Prog Rock and Grunge into their wider musical backdrop with elements of Sludge and Post-Metal appearing which demonstrates a heavy destructive force within the outstanding second track of Betty. The record feels inspired by the likes of A Perfect Circle, WINDHAND and Alice In Chains but with that true science fiction vibe allowing Greengoat to be taken on their own creative and technical merits.
The album weaves into different areas of Psychedelic and Psychological warfare throughout with a mixture of different thematic elements that becomes quite dominant especially on the quieter and subversive moments of the record. Greengoat have a powerful LOUD vs QUIET dynamic within their music where a Sludge / Shoegaze hybrid style of music appears more convincingly on other standout tracks such as: Jim, Travis (perhaps based on Travis Walton’s experience which was immortalized within the 1993 movie Fire In The Sky), Ariel and Charles.
Aloft is quite a different record to A.I. with some tracks having unfinished business and perhaps a “to be continued” theme which makes the album even more intriguing and mysterious to boot. The music is perhaps the main draw with Greengoat playing a subtle and stripped back style of Doom/Stoner Metal which is highly original and superbly aggressive.
Greengoat have released another outstanding record here which could establish them as one of the most daring and highly imaginative bands to come out from the underground scene in quite some time.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo. Aloft is available to buy on CD/DD via Argonauta Records
