Courtesy Metal Witch
Audio By Carbonatix
The call of Goathulu is intensifying.
And if you haven’t heard it yet, the Denver metal maniacs of Goat Hill Massacre are on an endless mission to spread the sinister sonus of its decibel-destroying deity.
With new music in the works, first foretold by the latest live single, “Death Charge,” the group is exploring themes of ancient magic and war, Goathulu reaping death and destruction throughout. The new song, recorded at a show and released independently on Valentine’s Day, reflects on Imperial Japan. “It’s a look at the remaining Japanese soldiers during WWII who were cornered on their endpoint of the island and their final days, working in the theme of our mascot and how that influences war and battle and perspective,” explains vocalist Andre Whitehair Hardyway.
The in-the-works album also features flares of seiðr, a primordial Norse shamanic practice, and epic Middle Earth throes, courtesy of the macabre minds of Hardyway, bassist Josh Walton, guitarists Joe Wilkins and Josh Cornwell, and drummer Danielle Wilkins.
“Josh was really feeling a Nordic vibe and wanted one themed around seiðr,” Hardyway says. “Another gave me really strong melodic death-metal vibes and Battle of the Five Armies from The Hobbit. It’s all about taking what feels right and running with it from there.”
While there isn’t a rock-solid release date for Goat Hill Massacre’s fifth full-length yet, the band is planning to play three tracks from it live at Moe’s Original BBQ on Saturday, November 1. The all-local gig also includes Bleed The Vain, Last Nerve and Our Darkest Sin.
Courtesy Goat Hill Massacre
And don’t worry, Goathulu won’t drive you murderously mad; the mascot is more light-hearted than you may think. “I mean, the running theme for the album — it’s kind of joke because we’re not black metal — but it’s ‘black-metal beach party,” Hardyway shares. “We’re just having fun with it. Whatever the vibe of the song’s going to be is what it’s going to be. We don’t want to be only death metal or tech or slam. We want to have a wide array in our portfolio and just go have fun with it.”
Originally spawning in 2014, after Joe and Danielle Wilkins moved from Nebraska back to Colorado, Goat Hill Massacre’s been busy behind four albums — including two in 2023, There Will Be Blood and Aporkalypse Upon Us (see, it’s all in good humor) — and recently welcomed Cornwell on full-time. Cornwell first appeared with Goat Hill on Aporkalypse Upon Us, and his influence is evident. “It will be a very different feel to what Goat Hill has put out in the past because of his influence,” Hardyway says.
“He’s one of the more skilled ones that we’ve played with. He’s very solid technically. This is his first time getting the freedom to write songs, so this is also an experiment for him in getting to try out new things,” he continues. “It’s definitely brought a difference of ideas and styles into it. He’s a very solid lead guitar player, which I feel like we might have lacked over the last couple of albums, so I’m very excited to see what the final product looks like having his influence and technical chops in the mix.”
Goat Hill is leveling up its meaty groove-meets-death metal, while planning to book more out-of-state shows where unsuspecting audiences can discover the call of Goathulu in the flesh.
“We want folks to share in that energy with us and have a good time, even if it’s not moshing, just being able to bang your head or enjoy the music or appreciate the musicality of what we’re doing,” Hardyway concludes.
Goat Hill Massacre, with Bleed The Vain, Last Nerve and Our Darkest Sin, 7 p.m. Saturday, November 1, Moe’s Original BBQ, 3295 South Broadway. Tickets are $15.
