This album is a devastating wake up call if you put it on before your 7:00 AM morning commute. I almost swerved in surprise when it first came forth from the car speakers. A Haunting Curse is the third album from this New Orleans four-piece and marks their debut for Metal Blade. Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal and Morbid Angel produced the album. Rutan also produced the last Soilent Green record amongst a multitude of others, which is interesting because this band shares vocalists with Soilent Green. Goatwhore lay down eleven tracks of blistering metal that leans heavily toward black metal.
"Wear These Scars of Testimony" is a nasty way to start an album. The groove that the one riff lays down is great. The vocals are grating in a way wholly appropriate to the music that the song puts out. The song stops at one point for the briefest of moments that adds a nice touch to it. The drumming on "Bloodletting Upon the Cloven Hoof" is totally unrelenting. It simply propels the guitars, even in the parts that they are noisy rather than completely crazy.
Goatwhore slows things down - well, for them - towards the end of "In the Narrow Confines of Defilement;" this was a bit shocking given the mostly manic pace of the rest of the album. However, slowing the tempo works well for the song and really drives it home. The title track also contains some different elements to mix things up on the record. The normal blistering attack is present, but there is also a more measured portion of the song that has an eerie element to it. The vocal delivery also enforces this mood shift. The band utilizes a more driving rhythm on "Silence Marked by the Breaking of Bone." It is one of the more dynamic songs on A Haunting Curse. There are some very visceral moments that the track showcases.
The artwork for A Haunting Curse was handled by Jacob Bannon - vocalist of Converge and the artist for many album covers. The cover art is striking and the manner of how it folds out as one opens the insert allows more of the image, which seems to be a literal take on the origins of the band's name. The whole package represents the music well.
A Haunting Curse is a powerful, bludgeoning record. It tends to take a more direct approach in its affect on the listener. There are moments where Goatwhore slow the tempo; but no matter the speed, they still seem intent on bulldozing through their listeners. It is intense from start to finish.
