The band photos show the members trying to look as if they're taking part in a good old "burning at the stake". It doesn't look as silly as you'd imagine…but still! Germany was indeed hit the hardest by the "great burning", so I suppose there's a tiny bit of relevance here.

Goat of Mendes also make it clear that they are followers of the old pagan ways, and want nothing to do with neo-pagans and their "strength orientated" attitudes. I'll allow the reader to make their minds up on that one…

Having listened to this CD numerous times, I'll agree the band are mature in their technicality, but are unable to put anything together. The male vocals are hysterical, there's little to no control to them (and that ridiculous 'queen of england' chorus in track four is absurd!). This ends up sounding very silly! Bands such as Malkuth, Northland, and Avatar (Bel.) are guilty of this crime as well - Malkuth/Northland more in the over the top "shut up" sense, and Avatar sounding more like an angry chicken. GoM fall in between these two categories, not taking the annoying "clean" chanting into effect.

The music is a mess of melodic riffs, drumming that seems to be doing its own thing (?), and the occasional "pagan" wanking riff with electrical instruments (of course…just listen to how idiotic "I soar the moonless sky" sounds). Trying to achieve a folk / "pagan" atmosphere with electrical instruments, specifically miserably played ones, RARELY works!

The slut in this band can fucking SCREAM though. She doesn't do it much, but when she does (such as in the opening track), you can't help but want her to take the vocals from there on. She doesn't (mostly clean signing with her ANNOYING square-head accent), and the album prances down it's shit covered path for another fifty more minutes or so.

© 2000 brand