Goat Farm – “Down the Spine”
We recently stumbled upon Rochester-based quartet Goat Farm in our inbox and couldn’t believe they hadn’t been on our radar until now. The “alternative metal” act sure makes a ton of noise with their guitar-forward, shoegaze-adjacent sound. They are hot off releasing their debut, three-song offering, Nature Takes Its Course – but our first introduction to this unit was actually the b-side to said EP, “Down the Spine.”
After a trippy, phaser-laden intro, bassist/vocalist Mimi Snyder launches in with a vocal presence that ranges from lilting, to pained, to ferocious (see the screaming around the 4:30 mark). Guitarists Sage Alice and Molly Mink conjure a maelstrom of guitar noise, often layered thick with swirling effects or heady fuzz – while drummer Stephen Coleman keeps the song pounding with hammering intensities. Shoegazers will love the quiet/loud dynamics found throughout this six+ minute journey, while metalheads and/or punks will appreciate the raw aggression found here. Fans of Title Fight’s later career arc or Pity Sex will dig this one, although the rest of their catalog has doomier and sludgier vibes.
Check out “Down the Spine” via the bandcamp embed below, or, add it to your favorite Spotify playlist. Click on this Linktree link for all the different ways to support Goat Farm.
Categorised in: New Music, Rochester
This post was written by Nick Sessanna