Von Goat - Septic Illumination

Von Goat is a Black Metal side-project of Goat, one of the co-founders of the legendary Von Black Metal band. If Von Goat got most of its recognition for their magisterial following album, read Von Goat Disappear, let us not pass by their previous achievement, a defining moment in the history of Black Metal. I am of course talking about their 2010 album Septic Illumination.

You have not heard Black Metal at its full potential, if you haven't heard Septic Illumination, a brilliant masterpiece of despair.

Septic Illumination is no less than 12 tracks of brutal and grim Black Metal at its best. Before their album Disappear, which marked a total departure from their original style and a major change of musical direction, Von Goat managed to produce some of the most terrifying Black Metal, and mark the defining moment in extreme Metal history.

Musically, most of Septic Illumination tracks have some sort of Ambient Black Metal feel to them... only 300% more brutal and powerful. A great mix between the rawness of Satanic Blood Angel and the atmosphere of Agalloch or Wolves in the Throne Room.

You would think the insanely drowning atmosphere on tracks like The Gathering, Syringes, Voodoo Word, Spiders could go on for ten minutes or more without losing a single bit of intensity, but courtesy of Von Goat they only last three or four minutes at best, with some beautiful yet raw solos added in.

The major tracks are also filled with four keyboard "intros", some ambient almost-instrumentals that are brilliantly contrasting with the gruesome heaviness of the "metal" tracks.

In conclusion, Septic Illumination is pure Black Metal : raw, atmospheric and aggressive.

Additionally, Von Goat - Septic Illumination was listed #7 in the best Black Metal tribute.