Capricorn Rising by Thirteen Goats is a slice of Death Metal heaven, wrapped up in a tangy Black Metal sauce, and boiled in a delicious goats head soup of Thrash.
It is also a concept album about;
their mascot, Shepherd: a goat-skull-wearing Antichrist who raises an army of animals to liberate the earth from humanity’s constant wars and greed. This high-concept narrative is delivered with Thirteen Goats’ signature blend of infernal riffs, huge hooks, and uniquely theatrical songwriting.
Which, yes, is as batshit crazy as it sounds, but isn’t some kind of throw away attempt to make a joke record for spme cheap ha-ha’s, because at its soul, Capricorn Rising tackles the cost to the human – and animal – soul when it is subjected to such a constant barrage of corruption, war, and greed, that it feels the need to fight back.
From the first note to the last, Capricorn Rising is a fucking triumph in storytelling – an art that is often overlooked when the phrase concept album is thrown about – chosing to follow the true line of how to tell a tale, with a beginning, middle, and end, which I won’t ruin for you, but I highly suggest that if you buy this record – and you really fucking should – you follow the lyric sheet, as it is a well thought out and exectued yarn that needs to be fully digested to be appreciated. Yet, all this would be for nought if Thirteen Goats couldn’t back up their words with the kick ass music it requires and as the album made it on here – and I gave it away in the opening paragraph – you know they do that with a frightening ease.
I’m not going to bang on about genres and who they are influenced by here. Instead, what I’m going to say is that the musicianship on offer is second to fucking none.
Every member of Thirteen Goats deserve high praise, but it is the due guitar work of Rob Fitz-Gerald and Graham K. Miles that truly boggles the mind. The way they weave and dance around each other, painting some of the darkest, melodic, and most complex soundscapes you will ever hear, while pilling riff upon riff so fucking high they tear a hole in the sky, is not just a joy to behold, but it will having you hit repeat the moment that the final track, Animal Kingdom, ends.
Capricorn Rising isn’t just a lyrical triumph, it’s a musical one as well, from beginning to end, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s class in a glass. It’s fucking proper. And you need to own it.
Head on over the the Thirteen Goats Bandcamp page and pick up your copy of Capricorn Rising as soon as you can.
