With their third full-length, “House of the Rising Smoke,” French Heavy Rockers Goatfather solidify their position among Europe’s most compelling Stoner and Doom acts. Active for over a decade, the band demonstrates once again their ability to blend monolithic riffs, pachydermic rhythm sections, and Psychedelic atmospheres into a sound that evokes both the Californian desert and the darker corners of European Doom. The addition of Violeine on bass adds further depth and presence to an already formidable rhythm section. The album opens with “Stoner Dream,” an immediate and compelling track that fuses Heavy Rock with Stoner Psychedelia. The guitar riffs are solid and scratchy, cutting through the thick, hypnotic rhythm section. The rough, incisive vocals soar above the instrumentation, delivering an almost ritualistic mantra in the refrain: “Smoke weed on the top of the mountain.” In under four minutes, the track perfectly balances energy, groove, and psychedelia, never succumbing to clichés or unnecessary embellishments. Goatfather turns up the intensity with “Eye of the Electric Mountain.” Heavier riffs, pronounced bass lines, and a pachydermic drum performance create a track that moves effortlessly between Heavy and Metal, enriched by well-placed tempo changes. The vocals remain sharp and commanding, but the composition’s complexity captures the listener’s attention, weaving sudden accelerations with slower passages to sustain tension. The guitar solo is precise and expressive, heightening the epic quality of the piece without ever feeling gratuitous. The band’s Heavy Psych side emerges fully on “Night of the Blue Smoke.” Expansive riffs alternate with sudden accelerations, allowing the central theme to develop naturally. Vocal and guitar interplay, particularly in the second half, showcases Goatfather’s compositional maturity: every riff seems crafted to explore a specific sonic space, building a hypnotic tension that pulls the listener in. Masterful control of dynamics and time signatures makes this track a deeply immersive experience. “Son of a Witch” opens with dark, Doom-inflected tones, accompanied by a slow, deliberate rhythm and warm, expressive vocals that evoke a ritualistic atmosphere. The track gradually crescendos into a powerful chorus, alternating trance-like passages with bursts of sonic intensity. Solo sections and instrumental passages add further depth, while the meticulous precision of the performances ensures that the ritualistic and epic qualities coexist seamlessly. “Rainbow Rider” begins with a deep, commanding bass line that anchors a Heavy Rock assault of dense riffs and incisive vocals. More straightforward in structure than previous tracks, the song maintains the band’s signature heaviness, with dynamic guitar interludes adding variety. It serves as a tight, punchy contrast before the album’s sprawling finale. The album closes with “Space Weeds and Heavy Trips,” a summation of Goatfather’s sonic identity. Monolithic riffs, downtuned passages, sudden accelerations, and incisive vocals intertwine to form a dense, layered journey. The track navigates the band’s multiple dimensions—Heavy Stoner Rock, Metal hints, Psychedelic stretches, and hypnotic atmospheres—leaving the listener with a desire to replay the album and explore its nuanced textures. “House of the Rising Smoke” confirms Goatfather as one of the strongest and most compelling forces in the European Heavy/Stoner/Doom scene. The band demonstrates a rare ability to combine raw power with dynamic nuance, technical precision with expressive feeling, and direct energy with atmospheric depth. The album delivers a convincing blend of monolithic riffs, pachydermic grooves, psychedelic colorations, and ritualistic passages, appealing both to Stoner/Desert Rock enthusiasts and fans of darker, more layered Heavy music. It is a record that does not simply entertain, but immerses the listener in a richly detailed sonic journey.
Tracklist
01. Stoner Dream (03:49)
02. Eye of the Electric Mountain (05:42)
03. Night of the Blue Smoke (06:55)
04. Son of a Witch (06:18)
05. Rainbow Rider (03:52)
06. Space Weeds and Heavy Trips (06:16)3
Lineup
Yann “Olaf” Greuntsson / Vocals, Guitar
Pierre “Menhir” Baluze / Guitar
Violeine / Bass
Raphaël Jaudon / Drums