vote
7.5
- Band:
Goya - Duration: 00:40:25
- Available since: 13/06/2025
- Label:
-
Blues Funeral Recordings
Streaming not yet available
Adepts of the Fuzz, disciples of the proto-metal, here is to you, in this first escape of the summer, the new effort of the Goya, expert and rooted trio doom from Phoenix, Arizona.
Dragged, since 2011, by the singer and guitarist Jeffrey Owens, the only constant member of the formation, have made themselves known thanks to works of a certain 'weight', such as the debut “777” of 2013 and the concept album “Obelisk” and “Harvester of Bongloads”, respectively of 2015 and 2017.
This time to accompany Jeffrey Owens we find CJ Sholtis, who double the guitar parts with his low round and full -bodied bass, and Marcus Bryant, already in the Spirit Adrift, which completes the formation with his dry and precise battery. But the real purchase in this case is Jack Edino, a cult manufacturer already at work with Soundgarden, Nirvana, High on Fire and Year of the Cobra, which ensures a remarkable leap forward in the compactness and usability of the Goya proposal.
The patronage of the Blues Funeral Recordings from Albuquerque, New Mexico, also label of Acid King, completes the desert, bitter and lyssergic setting of the work: this certainly does not shine for originality and innovation, but the Goya have different arrows in their bow that we will try to analyze.
First of all, it should be emphasized that group coordinated coordinates are certainly galorely played with groups that play on the same stilistic coordinates: wanting to mention a name of a certain fame, the Gates of Slumber of the last one, album of last year, could be brought up, but we are still not far from the Sleep and Electric Wizard masters, which was perhaps more evident in the previous records, but still remains valid. In short, we are in that particular stylistic area where the Doom is strengthened by the sludge and drugged by the Stoner Rock, but, if previously to come immediately, it was the most visceral and psychedelic aspect of the proposal, on this new effort, as already anticipated just above, there is a greater attention to the sound, the smoothness of the pieces, to the homogeneity and consistency of the songwriting.
Perhaps at the expense of a certain dark and hermetic vein that goes a little to get lost, since now the pieces emerge immediately and clearly in the ear, but this does not compromise the durability of the work, which is immediately pleasant and at the same time not tired on repeated listening.
The voice of the singer, guitarist, leader and only fixed member of the formation, in the past very close to Jus Oborn of the Electric Wizard, today approaches that of Karl Simon of the Gates of Slumber, less made, less 'distant' and therefore more effective; The vocal lines also give a feeling of greater completeness, in short, they are more catchy and defined. Also excellent his test on the rhythmic and solo guitar, characterized by incisive riffs and punctual blues and fitting solos.
As it is easy to find in other gender discs, the best aspect of the disc is the sound yield, truly impeccable: guitar and bass travel in unison, creating an intimidating, heavy, enveloping wall of sound, but the songwriting is still treated and allows you not to get bored in listening, also thanks to a well -studied lineup.
The best pieces, the title-track and “I Wanna Be Dead”, the two longer, epic and elaborate, characterized by substantial instrumental digressions, are placed at the beginning and end disc; In the middle, three other short, direct and slightly more lively songs, among which the turbulent “depressive episodes” stands out; At closing there is also room for a short instrumental with vague ambient and drone, but very simple and which does not add much to work, which in the whole is however very enjoyable, without considerable drops in taste and tension.
The pessimistic texts, more purely Doom than Stoner-Soundge, do not constitute a real added value, but from this point of view even the competition shines particularly, so you cannot throw the cross on the Arizona group, which “in the Dawn of November” not only confirms what has been good already produced in the past, but consolidates group status of great value within the Stoner-Doom; An album of gender which, however, has its peculiarities and enjoys an excellent sound, of an effective songwriting and of a dowry that is not always found: the ability to go straight to the hard and get to the listener.
The winning formula of “In the Dawn of November” is what the Primigenio metal was founded and which has made its global and lasting success: the ability to lay simple and ficcant vocal lines on great guitar riffs, heavy and hypnotic.
Sometimes even in the minds of the most stainless traditionalist can arise that the measure is full, but albums like this push us to think that in truth of this sound we will never have enough.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
