Here are 5 Reasons You Should Listen to Goatsnake Today
After hearing “Heartbreaker” recently at the Saint Vitus Bar, I broke out Goatsnake‘s first album, I, this past weekend, and it was one of those “holy shit” moments, as in, “holy shit, why don’t I listen to this record more?” I was on a pretty sizable Goatsnake kick for a while there, but like all good kicks, they kind of fell from the consciousness forefront and ‘G’ is a hard space to reach on the shelf and blah blah blah.
The point is that it’s a mistake I’m working to correct. If you need convincing to break some Goatsnake out today, here are five solid reasons you should do so:
1. Because it’s sunny or rainy or whatever.
Unlike most bands, Goatsnake can go with any kind of climactic condition. This is because they play both kinds of music: Stoner and doom.
Sunny day? You’ve got “Slippin’ the Stealth” from the first record ready to go. Rainy as shit? Their version of Sabbath‘s “Who are You?” is fittingly miserable. A band for all days, they were.
2. Because unless you’re one of 30 people, you haven’t seen this video.
Someone took it upon themselves to make an animation for the song “Raw Curtains” from 2000’s Dog Days EP. Check it out:
3. Because of Greg Anderson’s guitar tone.
This one kind of goes without saying, but seriously, when was the last time you heard a Sunn amp do that? Okay, it probably hasn’t been so long at this point, but when was the last time you heard a Sunn amp do that in 1999? They were truly ahead of their time.
4. Because Pete Stahl is a weirdo.
See also: earthlings? You could write a masters thesis on the layering and the melodies thrown into “IV” from the first record — and don’t think I haven’t wanted to — but whatever level you want to approach it on, the way Stahl rides that groove is unreal. He’s basically riff-surfing. Not to mention Guy Pinhas‘ bass line. Seriously, if you’re not listening to Goatsnake yet, try and resist this:
5. Because if we all do it, maybe they’ll tour.
I’m not going to say I want a new Goatsnake record, because I think all these dudes, including Stuart Dahlquist (Asva) who played bass on the second record, Flower of Disease, and drummer Greg Rogers (also, like Pinhas, of The Obsessed) have other stuff going on, but a couple East Coast shows would be much appreciated, like one in my back yard with the bug zapper going. Let’s try and make that happen.
Tags: California, Goatsnake, Southern Lord
I was listening to Goatsnake a few days ago (as I often do) and it made me completely question my current guitar tone. You should also have included
6. When trying to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with musical acts….Goatsnake is a great one to use with Pete Stahl being from Scream (Dave Grohl) and Petra Haden of That Dog helps too.
Goatsnake…this band started it all for me. They were one of the first underground metal bands that really caught my attention. Greg’s guitar tone is still unsurpassed to this day. You just can’t fuck with that Sunn amp tone. MASSIVE sounds, fuzz, and grooves. Simply amazing.
Now Playing: WHAT LOVE REMAINS! (that jam!!!!!)
Hail Goatsnake!
I was lucky to see them at Roadburn and they really blew me away. Very powerful stuff. Flowers of Disease is a great record. I will crank them up tomorrow.. Right now I am hearing Dragon from Australia 1974.
I listen to “I” on a monthly basis since it came out. Actually I blasted it just 2 days ago. “IV” alone is the reason why.
Plus I think that the main riff of “Junior’s Jam” off “Hoof” is the best doomriff ever written. Seriously, this is heaviest and I can’t think of a riff more fierce and a tone more ripping than on that one.
“Because if we all do it, maybe they’ll tour.”
As often as I listened to their stuff alone they should NOW:)
Surrendered. Slipped Iv, Raw Curtains and a few others into the current playlist. Which was mostly Radar Men From The Moon and Palace In Thunderland up to this point.
The animation is from Peur(s) du noir / Fear(s) of the dark
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0792986/
The best reason is because one of the dudes in the band is wearing a James Gang shirt!
Duuuuude! Goatsnake is one of my all time favorite bands, have all their stuff (except for the Man Of Light 7″), including the first 7″ which inspired my “teenhood” tremendously (thank you Meteorcity’s 1998 7″ club). I agree with all the reasons you mention, and no, I’m not on of those 30 visionaries who saw the great Raw Curtains video.
Is Pete Stahl still the current Foo Fighters tour manager?
And if you really get them to play East Coast, I would ask you to pleeeease tell them to tour South America too, it ain’t too far is it? ;) They can stay at my place… I’ll buy the groceries (beer + skunk)!
Pete is currently tour managing Rival Sons.