Those keeping a close ear on the UK metal scene over the past year should have already encountered occult/stoner/doom band Goat Major. The Welsh band have released an EP and album absolutely loaded with great material, and by drawing from classic influences ranging from Sabbath, Kyuss, Witch Charmer, Down and other top drawer doomy fare, they’ve tapped into a classic, retro sound that will never get old.

From the moment they arrived, they’ve shown a knack for a superb riff, and their current single ‘Under The Moonlight’ keeps up that trend. Tempo wise, the track plays like one of the classic, faster Sabbath tracks circa ‘Master of Reality’ drowning in fuzz guitar, crossed with a dose of ‘Blues For The Red Sun’ era Kyuss, making it classic Goat Major. From the outset, the guitars are so huge and the drum sound so dense that this is impossible to ignore, and the way siren-like leads are used to cut through the heavy groove gives the performance an extra edge. The vocals occasionally feel a little lost within the heaviness, but if you came for riffs, this certainly won’t disappoint, and by the band introduce more of a stoner swagger during the climax, they sound especially impressive. It doesn’t feel quite as epic as the band’s previous single ‘Wheels of Gold’ – a doom riff and tribal drum assault that brings out the darker side of the Goat, but by keeping everything within a four minute blast, ‘Under The Moonlight’ feels like one of the band’s most accessible tracks to date, which could see their fan base expanding…

Take a listen below.