So after recently re-issuing 2004’s Burning The Born Again and 2006’s Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick. Moribund has unearthed and dusted off veteran Colorado underground act Satan’s Host, whose discography dates back to 1986 without any sort of real fanfare or groundbreaking releases, and that hasn’t changed with their new offering.

Apparently, the band started out as a power metal/thrash act in the 80’s before going into more extreme territory sometime in the 90’s and what we have on Great American Scapegoat is sort of a blending of the two styles; not really full on death/black metal, despite the themes and lyrics, but more of a sort of ‘extreme thrash’. It’s basically gruff rasped vocals, over stern Bay Area Thrash meets mildly Scandinavian black metal riffage, and none of it really excels.

Either way, it’s not particularly enthralling despite its old school-y allure dressed up with a more modern production. Granted, it’s not a terrible release and does have some solid moments of primal metal fury, such as promising start to “Ave, Lucifer”, the title track, solo work in “Pyromancy, the Art of Fire” and the more loping, more epic “Xeper 22”. But at over an hour long and with 10 of the 13 songs (except the intro “Invocation 666”, “7 Strings” and “Infernal Victory”) hovering around the 6 minute mark, the album tends to both drag on, repeat itself and be rather forgetful, and I can honestly say it’s not an album I’m dying to revisit any time soon.

[Visit the band's website]

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