By Jonny Bakes
We all know that music can be an effective cathartic release, in fact there are even some bands who are built entirely around that principle. But for an album to be simply called ‘Catharsis’ it’s clearly going to be something pretty raw and powerful that deserves a listen. What I couldn’t get my head around in this case though was that it came from a band called Spacegoat, which brought to mind funky science fiction themes but I couldn’t have been further from the mark on that one… It’s a bit of an unusual situation though because I first listened to this back in the summer, before the album release was delayed by a couple of months, so I’ve had to dive back into it – which gives it a second chance to see if my opinion has changed since round one!
Hailing from Bendigo (something, something, green cube Morty), Spacegoat have been cultivating powerful alternative metal that blends together punky female vocals, grooves galore and technical heaviness which is showcased in this follow up to 2019’s ‘33’. The vocal style is a bit like if Gwen Stefani was occasionally possessed by some kind of demon as vocalist, Erin, bursts into some pretty venomous screeches on occasions. Pair this with musicianship that is very reminiscent of Tool and you’ve got yourself a pretty out of this world combination which I can only assume lead the band to the name Spacegoat!
As I listened to the opening track, ‘Purge’, again, I remembered exactly why this album caught my attention. Things start off with a fantastic intricate baseline as the focal point for your attention which is eventually accompanied by some terse vocals from Erin, but this does nothing to prepare you for the absolute venom she spits when the introduction reaches a crescendo of brutality. Then if one sharp change wasn’t enough, there are points where she switches seamlessly from distorted screech to powerful melodic vocals, it’s almost got a bit of everything! In that respect, I’m reminded of Jinjer who has a pretty comparable style.
The other tracks follow a similar formula to this one but one thing that does come through very strongly, both in Erin’s voice and the feel of the music, is the sensation that this quite a personal affair that is born out of frustrations and personal experiences. It’s an album that I can see being relatable to many people and could settle on the kind of playlist that is something like “music for when you’re pissed off at the world and need an outlet” (or a catchier title than that, I hope!). When I came to this the second time round, I was already exhausted and pissed off after a tough week, and it definitely started to resonate with me more than it did back in the summer so it could be one of those albums where success is entirely mood dependent!
Regardless though, ‘Catharsis’ is an album that wears its broken heart on its sleeve and sticks both middle fingers up at the world. The bass-heavy music and fiery vocals will resonate with anyone who is frankly a bit fucked off with the world, and will appeal to fans of Jinjer and other bands of that vein. For me, it will be an album I will only really revisit when the mood is right but there’s still a place for it in my collection, maybe there’s a place in yours too.
- ‘Catharsis’ is released on 8 October. You can get your copy HERE.
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