Weedeater – Goliathan Album Review + Visuals

“I really hate your face.” Those are the first lines that you hear coming from vocalist “Dixie” Dave Collins’ mouth, when “Processional” comes in. Goliathan, the fifth album from Weedeater, and their first to be released through Season of Mist, does not lack any of the humour that made this band what it is. Their misanthropically comedic appearance becomes the perfect match to their sludge sound and their southern rock influences, and has seen them putting out great records such as God Luck and Good Speed and Jason The Dragon. So, it is no surprise that it carries on so boldly in Goliathan.

It is not just the lyrics that make this happen, but the delivery of the lines has something sardonically devious about it. No matter if that happens in the heavier tracks or in the more laid back intro to the album, the same feeling is prevalent. The peak, though, would have to be the very interesting interlude, “Battered & Fried,” with the banjo really raging, giving away completely the southern origins of Weedeater’s music, while “Dixie” is just taking the piss.

The roots of Weedeater dominate Goliathan, and that is not just by including the banjo in one of the songs. “Cain Enabler” kicks off with the bass having an absolute southern rock vibe to it, that gives the track a more retro feeling, as the groove is leading you through its colossal riffs. The lead work also heavily radiates the southern aura in Weedeater’s music, with parts in “Bow Down” standing out. Even when the main parts are more based on the sludge weight instead of the southern rockiness, Weedeater can still explore more options, as they do in “Claw of the Sloth” with the sudden change being more than welcome.

Label: Season of Mist Out NOW!

But, that is only half the case with Weedeater. Their sludge mentality uncovers most of the dirt behind their music in the most imposing of forms. The monstrous riffs of the title track can bring down walls, as the heavy, slow pace of the band takes over completely. The fumey visions of Weedeater come unto the surface when the southern and sludge worlds collide, as is the case with parts of “Cain Enabler.” However, nothing can really prepare you for the amount of fuzz that the band can conjure. From straightforward moments as in “Bow Down,” they are able to create a huge, fuzzy, distorted wall of sound, while the rhythm section dominates the groove. At other times, they can get more destructive, as they do in “Joseph (All Talk)” and “Reprise,” where the guitars seem to have been replaced by shovels, because there is no other way for me to explain how all this dirt and mud is brought forth. And yet they can get more imposing and towering, with “Claw of The Sloth” finding them at a peak. Everything in the track works brilliantly, from the heavy guitars and malicious vocals, the thundering drums and deep bass to the stomach-turning groove that they can awaken.

Even though the sludge of Weedeater is bound within the genre, they still throw a few more interesting bits at you. Some experimentations with the feedback at the start of “Claw of the Sloth” and a more extreme approach in “Bow Down” reveal the mindset of the band. And then, they might even decide to go for something completely different and bring to the surface a punk side with “Bully,” as they pick up the pace and unleash one of their most aggressive moments of the album.

If you know Weedeater, then you get what you pretty much expect from them in Goliathan. A dirty, dark album with a sinister sense of humour. After all, that is what they are best at.