People always ask "Big Daddy" here: if in the 90s, we had the start of the Second Wave of Black Metal (this is what SWOBM that I use sometimes means), when happened the First Wave?

To be honest, the FWOBM (First Wave of Black Metal) is on the 80s, when VENOM, BATHORY, HELLHAMMER, SARCÓFAGO and some other appeared. And between the FWOBM and the SWOBM, there are many bands that are lost, because they do not fit in the musical paradigms of each wave. Bands like GRAND BELIAL'S KEY, BLASPHEMY, BEHERIT, MYSTIFIER, TORMENTOR and many others are really strange for both models. But they are Black Metal bands, of course, with some influence from old Thrash Metal ancients as SODOM. And following this trend is the North American band GOATLORD, since 1985 on the Metal front. And now, they re-released their first album, "Reflections Of The Solstice".

On the album, you can hear those influences of earlier Black Metal bands, but for those who loves Norwegian and Greek scene, it's better to take a careful hearing before buying the album, for the sound is a bit different: it's darkened and morbid, but always from the shrieked vocals and high tunes on guitars. Here, the things are slower and more atmospheric as well, being somber and morbid during all the time, even when the band uses a certain amount of speed in their songs. The vocals are not guttural as well, but in a way that reminds Tom "Angelripper" on his early days on SODOM, the guitar riffs are really sharp and heavy, and the rhythmic kitchen is doing a fine work. It sounds a bit rusty, but it's very good, indeed.

The sound quality is raw, but is not so bad. But come to think: "Reflections Of The Solstice" is an album released on 1991, a time when Black Metal was buried deep within the underground worldwide. The style was even considered dead by many. But besides its nasty sound, you can understand what the band is playing.The album has its best moments when the band plays in a slower and morbid way, when they get very good results, so we could name "The Fog" (with a dusty and mold atmosphere on the song, done by the combination of slow or mid speed paced tempos and very good riffs), the aggressive and faster "Underground Church" (but not as fastas some modern Black Metal bands), and "Acid Orgy" (a very bitter song, with slow tempos, very good drums and bass works, and even with a simple technique on musical instruments, you can feel a knowledge present in its arrangements). Thanks for this reissue, because a work of a band like this really deserves to be know.