Goatlord- Reflections of the Solstice (1991)

This record has the unsavory rep of being one the uglier, doomier and most underground releases of the great early nineties death metal scene. I saw one vinyl copy for sale at one store, and never saw another, finally getting myself a downloaded copy today. What we have here is really thick, syrupy metal that's low on thrills but big on density and evil atmosphere. The songs are almost all slow in pace, kinda like early Cianide records with less imaginative riffs, or perhaps Autopsy slowed down to almost sickening paces. When the songs do hit a mid-tempo jog, the drum limitations of the tinny drum sound is revealed all too clearly. BUT...somehow it all works. I mean, this is really maximum sloth metal, with basic riffs and the kind of feel that finds itself right in line with Hellhammer and/or early Asphyx. The vocals are tortured moans/retches ala Slaughter or early Voivod, not really full on death-grunts, which suits this kind of lo-tech metal perfectly. I've been trying to get a hold of this for some time, and I'm very glad I did. Innovative? No. Professional? Not Really. Wicked underground metal sick and overflowing with genuine old school vibes? FUCK yeah!