Band:	Goatwhore
Album:	Funeral Dirge For The Rotting Sun
Style:	Blackened death metal
Release date:	2003

01. Sacrament Of Emptiness And Despair
02. Vengeance Of Demonic Fury
03. Blood Guilt Eucharist
04. The Serpent That Enslaves What Is Worshiped
05. Chanting Bells Of Funeral Anguish
06. Sky Inferno
07. A Closure In Infinity
08. Invocation To The Obsidian Moon
09. As The Sun Turns To Ash
10. Fires Of The Judas Blood
11. The Black Art Of Deception
12. Baptized In A Storm Of Swords

The second album from US born musicians from both Acid Bath and Soilent Green, which are two extreme bands out of Louisiana. Funeral?. Was released in 2003, under their local label of Rotten Records, which has few bands on its label right now. To start off, this USBM act is probably one of the most non-cliché I have ever ran upon right now, they don't sound like Burzum clones, Darkthrone Clones, or some other sort of Black Metal bands that were either the most influential or most popular in the early to mid 1990's. They are Ultra Satanic Black Metal, from what I can tell by picking apart their lyrics here and there, but the interesting thing is, its not obvious or straight forward Satanic lyrics, its hidden messages and pieced together scenes that make the cut.

The songs are mid to fast paced and short, straight to the point that is. The drumming from the first album has improved, but not much, it is still very hollow at times and might dominate a song from time to time. The guitar work however is some of the best from a USA Black Metal band that I've really heard so far, it shows that they know how to piece their works together and make it fast. The vocals are good, they sound very daemonic and very Abbath Doom Occulta inspired from time to time. To spoil it for some, the vocal range goes from very low to very high rather fast, not like Cradle Of Filth or any other screaming based band, but more of from a low pitch growling to a raspy half scream in a matter of a second.

Personally, Goatwhore to me are amazing. One of my favorite bands to come out of the vast United States. Lately, they have been touring with the likes of Zyklon in Japan and have headlined with GWAR on occasion, so this band isn't short of having a good influence of heavy and extreme metal in their blood. I expect more top notch material from them within the next year or so, and I hope those that do enjoy Black Metal as of this day and age will take a look into Goatwhore, they are worth your time.

Top Tracks - Sky Inferno, The Black Art of Deception, Baptized In A Storm Of Swords.