Review: BLACK GOAT – Magia Posthuma: The Inmost Darkness – Second Phenomenon

Year of release: 2018
Label: Iron, Blood & Death Corporation
Rating: 7,4 / 10

It's always cool when you think that you already know about everything remarkable in the underground of the CIS, and then you come across a new interesting group. The Serpukhov project BLACK GOAT has existed since the last century, released a damn bunch of releases, but I only found out about it a few months ago, when I received a promo from a Mexican label.

BLACK GOAT is immediately distinguished by a non-trivial (for the Russian scene) set of sources of inspiration. The project is very serious about Satanism; Although I have always associated the abundance of Latin words and references to demonology with the operetta acts of LaVey's followers, it is still better than single-celled atheism, which parasites on satanic aesthetics. In addition, BLACK GOAT has good musical tastes. from HELLHAMMER to NECROMANTIA. Nobody cares about glamourous Scandinavians! This is reflected in the themes and aesthetics of the album, which, again, are not trivial by the standards of the Russian scene. Maybe I’m just ignorant, but I don’t remember in the CIS even a single project in the vein of MORTUARY DRAPE or above-mentioned NECROMANTIA, or MYSTIFIER. I mean, with all this retro occult stuff. BLACK GOAT diligently follows the precepts of its masterminds: the music on the album is moderately fast and primitive, the muddy-atmospheric sound suspiciously resembles analog one. When metal ends, flowery synthesizer parts, acoustics and samples come into play, or even some black masses start (see the second track performed by the friendly project CORONA BARATHRI). A cover on “Show me the Wrath” by SEPULTURA is slightly out of the general canvas, but it was played so well and close to the original that it doesn't spoil a party at all. In general, everything is amazingly good, but...

...but the second half of the album is performed in a completely different sound, and this is annoying. Allegedly, everything except the cover was done in one studio, but the difference is obvious. And I am also confused by some fragments where I hear either creative borrowing or outright plagiarism. In particular, this is the beginning of the second song, as well as the next acoustic track under number 3, where my degree of suspicion is ready to split the thermometer. Unfortunately, I still can not remember where I heard it.

Anyway, I recommend Bagnik Zine readers to familiarize themselves with this very, very good work. They do such stuff in Russia now - maybe someone will soon occupy a niche in Belarus as well.