Certainly, art imitates life. Constantly do we find ourselves before brand new creations that are pulling from all sorts of fonts of inspiration that can be traced back to a moment in time whether it has a political, emotional, or violent notion that serves the themes of whatever record we find ourselves before. It’s an obvious strategy that has been done ad nauseum, but that doesn’t always mean you’re guaranteed a gripping performance that really encapsulates those concepts to a degree that’s as satisfying as it can be well-crafted. Taking another break from their slowly forming trilogy that began many years ago, it’s with their forthcoming album that Year of the Goat does such an approach extreme justice with loads of style, flavor, and captivation that just cannot be denied.

Year of the Goat has always had an occult edge to its particular brand of rock that feels like it was ripped straight out of the 70s and given an undeniably seductive edge alongside its melodies, yet it’s here in this new effort, “Trivia Goddess” that we see the Swedish act channel the occult edge in a much more literal sense. Tackling the themes of the persecution of supposed witches over the centuries of the past, it’s throughout the nine tracks of “Trivia Goddess” that Year of the Goat takes on an enthralling and harrowing journey through time that sees the fates of likely innocent women hunted down and murdered in simply barbaric fashion, yet it’s the whole of this performance that feels captivatingly smooth and downright invigorating! Not just a mere collection of riffs hoping to stumble upon something that can fit with the source material, what Year of the Goat has crafted here is pitch-perfect for not just the themes at play but the very soul of the band itself. It’s epic in scope albeit relatively straightforward in its execution. It’s through weaving passages through the secluded woods and past coven rituals that “Trivia Goddess” comes to life out of the darkness to capture not just your attention but your soul with your bewitchment your only fate once you let the magical tapestry born from Year of the Goat wash over you.

Whether it’s the ripping solos or the soaring vocals that catch your attention, “Trivia Goddess” is sure to enchant should you allow it to enter your waking dreams. Year of the Goat has been on the rise across its over-decade-long tour of menace and it’s with everything they’ve summoned within their fourth album that they’ve truly cemented their status as talent that’s not to be denied in any form whatsoever. Intoxicating and outright mystical even in its smallest moments, this effort has far more to it than what can be found in this claustrophobic corporeal plane.

“Trivia Goddess” releases on September 12th via Napalm Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Trivia Goddess” on Bandcamp here.

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