Dark and brooding, with a heavier melodic edge and progressive tendencies; YEAR OF THE GOAT and their latest album "The Unspeakable" have defied all expectations of what I believed their sound would be - the group themselves cite dark arts and tales of Lucifer as inspiration.

After an extended introduction which sets a sombre and creepy mood, the main riff of "All He Has Read" does not really kick off until over 3 minutes into the track, and is heavily influenced by the thick and Blues-drenched music of the early metal bands. The opening is protracted and really builds a kind of atmosphere more suited to doomier groups.

The music is incredibly melodic, with thick keyboard harmonies overlaid with relentlessly moving guitar riffs, giving the music a lot of energy. Vocally, Thomas Sabbathi has a clean singing style, focusing on storytelling- "World of Wonders" and "The Sermon" both follow such narrative arcs. "The Unspeakable" has quite a haunting overall feel, slightly chilling and demonic. Especially the inaudible chanting at the opening which, combined with bells suggests a kind of black mass.

The jangly intro of "Pillars of the South" quickly moves through several different styles, from heavy 70s Psychedelic influenced Blues Rock to a more soulful edge. "The Emma" opens with a thick, fuzzy guitar riff that quickly turns into a slow, haunting ballad. The band's sound is heavily focused on a complete composition, with solos kept fairly minimal.

Overall, "The Unspeakable" shows a sheer breadth of influence on YEAR OF THE GOAT and their mastery at creating hugely varied and interesting songs, with an eclectic range of influences. "The Unspeakable" is far from "unspeakable", and is melodic, with a depth in both style and the way the songs are crafted which makes it easy to listen to it over and over.