Interview with Sammy Duet of Goatwhore

Interview with Sammy Duet of Goatwhore
The Fleece, Bristol
16/02/2023

Interviewed by Paul Hutchings

Three shows from the end of a gruelling tour across Europe, Paul and Rich caught up with Goatwhore guitarist and founder Sammy Duet before the band scorched The Fleece in Bristol. We start off by checking in on how the European tour has been for Sammy, the band, and the entire crew.

 
“It has been fantastic, way better than I expected,” says Sammy.

 Four weeks into the tour, that sounds like a good place to be. Did any countries stand out?

“The UK has been surprisingly insane. Manchester was insane. One kid came up on the stage and went to stage dive and I was like, we support that! Then I went on the mic, and I said, “Our stage is all stage and that’s when all hell just broke loose! Like three or four kids up there at the same time just diving on the stage, it was great. There was no venue security, like there won’t be like tonight. You’re right up close.”

I wondered if Sammy had noticed any change in their return to Europe, the first time since the pandemic. 

Financially Sammy is clear. “That’s the only real thing, you know. Yeah. And I mean, the turnouts have been fantastic, but I think there would be even better if people wouldn’t be so scared to come out, would you understand? You know, some people are just afraid of getting sick and all that stuff, but, you know, even some of the promoters were saying, the show would probably be twice as large if people still weren’t so afraid of it.” 

I think there may be more to this, with the financial challenges now but also, I wonder how many people have simply lost the drive and willpower to come out on a wet Wednesday or Thursday to watch a band. It’s an interesting debate. 

I’d interviewed Sammy for another site just before the release of their latest album, “Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven”. It’s a crushing album. How had the reaction been to the album afterwards?

“Yeah, we’d been sitting on it for so long, you know, that it was just kind of, we were extremely excited when it was finished, you know, but then the kind of honeymoon kind of ended by the time the album came out to the public. But I mean, I still love the record, you know? The reaction to the record has been fantastic. You know, everybody has been totally into it, which is awesome. You know, which I didn’t expect that reaction being that there’s not so much of a departure on this record, but we tried some new things. This is definitely the darkest record we put out so far as, like, a whole. There’s not so much of, like, the rock and roll vibe to this as our past records. This one is just pure darkness, you know.”

Goatwhore have been adding new songs into the setlist. How have they been received? 

Sammy is enthusiastic. “Yeah, they’ve been going great. I mean, we played five new songs in the set so it’s basically doing a 45-minute set and splitting it in half. The reactions have been great, you know, we’ll play a new song. Then we’ll play other more familiar songs and people will get familiar with that and be excited. Then that’s when the chaos just starts.”

With a catalogue stretching back over three decades, how does a band like Goatwhore find the right mix for the setlist? How do you integrate new songs without disappointing the old guard?

“We try to pick out, for lack of a better term, the fan favourites from the oldest songs, you know. These are staples that must stay in the set. And then try to whittle that down so we could fit new stuff in there.”

This run is Goathwhore’s first since the album was released, although they had been out for a couple of US tours, including a run with Incantation last summer. How had Goatwhore coped with getting back together? 

“It’s been fantastic. You know, we’ve been waiting to do this since the fucking pandemic. So, I mean it’s great. You know, everybody’s super stoked to be out here playing live again. Yeah, everybody in the band is, this is what we do.”

Like most of us, there must have been times in the darkest days when there were questions about the future of live music. Was this the same for Sammy? 

“Yeah, nobody knew if we were ever gonna be able to play live again. Yeah, it was a scary time, you know.”

The tour is pretty stacked with Revocation but also Creeping Death and Alluvial. How are the bands going down with the fans?

“They’re cool. You know, this is my first-time meeting the guys from Creeping Death, and we all get along fine. And I’ve known a couple of guys from Alluvial from the past, we’re friends from just like years and years ago. And Revocation, of course, I believe we took them out in the United States on one of their first tours, so we’ve known them for forever as well, so it’s basically just a bunch of friends hanging out.”

Being on the road has never sounded glamorous to me, but this is life for many bands. It isn’t too challenging, Sammy explains. 

“Sometimes when people need a rest, and the party is going on up here. I’ll be like, go downstairs. Take this shit down there! There’s only an old man up here!” Sammy tells us that having been on the road for 30 years means he’s adapted. “I try to sleep as much as possible, even if, like during the day, you get a half hour nap in here or there, that helps immensely. I usually just get something to eat and sleep the whole time. Basically, that’s my pattern unless there’s something really cool that I want to see or do. Yeah, I just get some food and just sleep the whole fucking day.”

Given that the last album was written a good while ago, is Sammy writing new music now?

 
He explains that they had so many extra songs written for the last album that they already have plenty of material. “We had so many extra songs for this last record that there’s still, like, five songs that are there that can be used. We can revamp them, and revisit them, and fix them a little bit. But then, I’m constantly writing when I’m at home, you know? So, I probably have the next album written. Really, if it came down to it and we needed to put out a new album right now, I could do it!” 

As the tour is almost over (two more dates after the Bristol show), what’s next for Goatwhore after they get home? 

“We’re going home for about a month,” Sammy explains. “And we go out with Eyehategod for, I believe, three weeks in the US. Then after that, there’s a festival in Maryland called Hell in The Harbour. And they brought back to Milwaukee Metal Fest. And we’re doing that as well. Those two fests are very close to each other so I’m sure we’re going to do another tour just around that you know.” Goatwhore are also talking about possibly coming back to Europe in October. 

As a UK festival goer, how do the US festivals compare to European ones? 

“Um, American festivals are usually very disorganised, you know, compared to, like, the European festivals. Like everything runs like clockwork. You know what I’m saying?” 

Goatwhore last played Bloodstock in 2016 when they headlined the Sophie tent on the final day (after Slayer). Sammy agrees that being inside works better for them. 

“Oh yeah, I remember being in there for that. It was one of those gigs you gotta be inside. I hate playing in daylight,” Sammy laughs. 


A couple of hours later, Goatwhore stoked the fires with a set of such intensity that we’re still smoking from it. They really are a band who you need to experience at least once in your life. 

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Paul Hutchings and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Goatwhore – Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven

Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven Album Cover Art

Goatwhore – Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven
Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 07/10/22
Running Time: 47:00 
Review by Paul Hutchings
9/10

I wonder if Sammy Pierre Duet thought that 25 years after their formation, that New Orleans Blackened Death Metallers Goatwhore would be releasing their eighth studio album and that it would challenge other releases as their best piece of work. Of course, purists will argue all day about the order in which to rank the Goatwhore catalogue, and I’m certainly not cult enough to engage in such debate. It’s undeniable though that “Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven” stands amongst the best releases of 2022, especially in extreme circles. 

Goatwhore have always blended Thrash, Black, Death and Sludge in a heady cocktail of extremity. They have also brought a relentless aural assault on each of their albums. It’s no different here. 47 minutes of intensity, ferocious riffage and the gargled roars of vocalist Louis Ben Falgoust II, who describes the record as “very raw, but clarity is shaped within the chaos”. 

The intro ‘Invocation 3’ leads to the blistering ‘Born of Satan’s Flesh’, which drips with demonic malevolence, but this is no devil worshipping session. The album’s lyrical themes touch on “the basis of human despondency, overwhelming emotion and thought”.  The songs stand on their own but hang together as an album well. The title track is huge, a brooding beast, sonically challenging and emotionally haunting. 

There is a pleasing variety of styles throughout the album. Whilst Goatwhore are not going to depart from their signature sound in any great way, there’s certainly wider influences at work here, with dips into more traditional Metal territory on occasion. ‘Death From Above’ is loosely based on the ‘Nachthexen’, or Night Witches, a group of female Soviet aviators in a bomber division deployed in 1942, a period during which women were in fact barred from combat. It’s worth dipping into the history books to read more about Major Marina Raskova and the 588th Night Bomber Regiment. The song certainly grasps the story and brings it home with a pulsing groove that drives the track forward. 

Alongside Falgoust II’s vocals, there’s also the recording debut of Robert Coleman on bass. He’s been with the band in various guises since 2014 but replaces James Harvey here and links in with drummer Zack Simmons to murderous effect, the engine room providing a concrete platform for founder member Sammy Pierre Duet to slice through with some visceral lead work. 

Two other songs are worthy of mention although there is nothing poor here. The sheer blast of ‘Nihil’, a short, blistering thrasher and the final song, ‘And I Was Delivered From The Wound Of Perdition’, which at six-minutes long is the lengthiest piece on the album. It builds slowly, with choral voices before a crushing riff eases into place and an agonising roar breaks through. The sludgy tempo slowing increases, blending with backing keys. It’s a smouldering brute that brings the album to a majestic and epic conclusion. 

With Jarrett Pritchard (Exhumed, 1349) once more doing excellent work on his return to the producer’s chair, Goatwhore have once more demonstrated their unrelenting approach works best. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better album all year. 

‘Death From Above’ Official Video

TRACKLISTING:
01. Invocation 3
02. Born of Satan’s Flesh
03. The Bestowal of Abomination
04. Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven 
05. Death from Above
06. Ruinous Liturgy 
07. Victory Is the Lightning of Destruction 
08. Voracious Blood Fixation
09. The Devil’s Warlords 
10. Weight of A Soulless Heart 
11. Nihil 
12. And I Was Delivered from The Wound Of Perdition 

LINE-UP:
Louis B. Falgoust II – Vocals
Sammy Duet: Guitars – Vocals
Zack Simmons – Drums
Robert “TA” Coleman – Bass

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Paul Hutchings and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Black Crown Initiate – Live at The Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver – 16/03/22

Black Crown Initiate
Live at The Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver – 16/03/22
Photos by Arturs Feists

Extreme metal band from the USA, Black Crown Initiate is the sound of a sentient being at war with itself and everything else; an ent. Photos from the show in Vancouver BC, Canada. Venue – Rickshaw Theatre Date – March 16, 2022

Disclaimer: This photo album is solely the property of Artus Feists. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of these images, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

EMQs with BLOOD OF ANGELS

EMQs with BLOOD OF ANGELS

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Tampa, Florida based Extreme Metal band, Blood of Angels. Huge thanks to guitarist, Aaron Robinson, for taking part.

What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

Aaron Robinson, I am the guitarist for Blood of Angels. I formed the band in October of 2015. Our debut EP, entitled “Rise of the Fallen Gods”, did well and won a few awards.

How did you come up with your band name?

Blood of Angels was a name that I had in mind for a couple of years before I formed the band. The name really suits us. As far as a business sense, it’s a name that works with metal music that does not pigeonhole us into a single sub-genre. It is easy to remember. From a personal side, we are a band that does not subscribe to any form of organized religion. Since most religions have this mythological idea of angels, spilling of their blood is a metaphorical statement to abandon organized faiths.

What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

We are from Tampa, Florida USA. Our Tampa metal scene is resurging. You can see the building blocks being put back into place. We have a great studio in town that loves punk and metal music. The venues that started in the 80’s, that are still around, are getting great attendance for the scene. It is fantastic to see the Tampa metal scene make a comeback.

What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)

We released our debut EP “Rise of the Fallen Gods” in 2017. We’ve recently completed our new album “Failure of Faith.” We hope to have a release date soon.

Who have been your greatest influences?

We are influenced by Slayer, Cradle of Filth, System of a Down, and Dark Tranquillity.

What first got you into music?

My dad was a fan of the early metal bands. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Blue Oyster Cult, among others. Listening to heavy rock was something we bonded on. When I was ten my dad picked up the Ozzy Osbourne “Randy Rhodes Tribute Album.” I became obsessed with that album. I just fell in love with Randy’s guitar playing. I wanted to be able to do it as well.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

They are really is not one musician that I would love to collaborate over any other. I am always open to create new songs with different artists. Recently we did a collaboration with hip-hop artist Amiss Omega. We did a killer track with hip-hop blended with black metal influenced riffs and drums.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Wacken Festival for sure. That is the grand-daddy of all metal festivals!

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

Nothing weird, I got some cool friendship bracelets. Also, a Viking style drinking horn.

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

We cannot wait to get on the road and see everyone. Hopefully, our tour with Laang in August will be able to go on.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

That is a tough question. Besides Randy Rhodes, probably Jim Morrison. He really understood philosophy and I am sure the conversations we would have would be transformative. I would be interested in what he would say about the current situation.

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

I love connecting with people who love music as much as we do. I do not like having to buy-on to tours and festivals.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

As I stated in my last answer. I do not like having to buy-on to tours and festivals. I do not see the reason behind charging bands $2,500 to play a festival.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Dark Tranquillity – “Where Death Is Most Alive.”

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

Since I am a 90’s kid, I really love the polished sound of CD’s.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

The Tampa Death Fest last October. It had an awesome and very receptive crowd. We had a great show.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

I would have pursued a career in academia. I would have done research and published books on ancient societies.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Kerry King, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Daniel Tosh, Steve Harris, and Johnny Depp.  It would be one eclectic dinner party.

What’s next for the band?

To release our new album “Failure of Faith” and tour as much as possible.

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

www.bloodofangels.net
www.facebook.com/bloodofangels1
www.twitter.com/bloodofangels1
www.instagram.com/bloodofangels
www.youtube.com/bloodofangels
www.numberonemusic.com/bloodofangels
www.reverbnation.com/bloodofangels1

Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?

Both, it’s hard to decide!

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Thank you for the opportunity to connect with your audience. We hope to see everyone as soon as Covid-19 passes.

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.