Goat Major’s debut album (‘Ritual’, released in 2024) was one of the best stoner/doom releases of the year. The still-new Welsh act mixed a classic Sabbath and Kyuss infused heaviness with an occult leaning and a pinch of dark psychedelia to create an album that sounded like something you’d always known, yet still wielded a world of huge sounding doomy metal riffs in such a way that the material still felt genuinely thrilling. Rather wisely, the band have largely chosen to stick to a similar formula for their 2026 follow up, ‘Death Comes Twice’, a collection of intense and heavy bangers that reinforces the idea that Goat Major are one of the UK’s best up-and-coming metal acts at the time of release.

Before the big riffs begin their crushing journey, ‘Voyage of Catus’ sets an atmospheric mood via strummed acoustic guitars and a blanket of synths, tapping into the band’s trippier side. There are hints of things to come thanks to a few power chords crashing through, going against the gentle melody, but in terms of piquing interest, this is a fine intro. The classic Goat sound kicks in with immediate effect on the chunkier ‘Firewalk’. Guitarist Jammie Arnold latches onto a buzzing tone, then drops into a classic stoner riff in the mould of early Kyuss, telegraphing a heavy yet groove laden arrangement. A slightly echoey vocal hints at the band’s love of dark psych, but in the main, the distorted, heavy edge takes centre stage, sharing something that sounds classic from first listen. As with many of Goat Major’s previous songs, it doesn’t matter if things do not sound especially original; the performance is shared with complete conviction.

Slowing the tempo and cranking the tension a couple of notches, the title cut is an obvious standout, driven by a riff that sounds like something on loan from Sabbath’s ‘Volume 4’ crossed with the doomier sounds of Conan. As before, it’s often Jammie’s overdriven guitar sounds that catch the ear first, but Simon Bonwick’s crashy drum sound does almost as much heavy lifting when it comes to telegraphing Goat Major’s sense of force, and by dropping into a more relaxed performance centring around longer notes, bassist/vocalist Tom Shortt sounds far more natural. Then, at the point where it seems like slow and doomy is the overriding theme here, the band switch gears for a faster, groove-oriented middle section which really shows of the power in this power trio. It’s a number that’s definitely going to come into its own when played live.

Offering a touch more melody, ‘Under The Moonlight’ is one of the band’s most accessible tracks. Tempo wise, the number plays like one of the classic, faster Sabbath tracks circa ‘Master of Reality’ drowning in fuzz guitar, making it a natural fit with the mid-section of the previous track. From the outset, the guitars are so huge and the drum sound so dense that this is already impossible to ignore, but 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 once the band introduce more of a stoner swagger during the climax, they sound especially impressive.

Those hoping to hear something a little more epic shouldn’t be disappointed with ‘Wheels of Gold’. Driven a doom riff and tribal drum assault that brings out the darker side of the Goat, it’s pretty tight. The mix of relentless drums and throbbing bass suggests a much more moody approach, but this doesn’t offset the classic stoner vibe too much, since Jammie locks into a superb groove that compliments the busy rhythm perfectly. Sounding superb on the headphones, whispered voices add an occult edge during the intro, and even once the trio slides into more of a comfort zone with the help of a typically stoner Kyuss-infused melody and tone, this continues to be an album highlight. It’s a perfect example of a band knowing their strengths.

The drone interlude ‘Sirens’ derails momentum a little – the two minutes of sampled voices and synths are used as an extended intro for the oppressively slow ‘Sin Eater’, but isn’t really required – but ‘The Sin Eater’ redresses the balance by dropping the listener into a doom/sludge blend that combines crushing guitar riffs with lyrics that concern themselves with becoming an “eternal slave” the “ritual for the afterlife” and what appears to be some kind of soul sacrifice. The lyrical content might seem a little clichéd, but Tom is in much stronger voice than usual, and is able to sell the piece with absolute confidence, before the double whammy of ‘Negative Church’ (a strange foray into space rock, sounding not unlike a Hawkwind interlude from the 80s) and ‘Detached’ (another doomy workout recycling some doom metal tropes to the band’s best advantage) pulls everything to a pleasingly downbeat close.

Aside from ‘Sirens’, there’s absolutely nothing here that should be considered filler. The best material shares a world of classic sounding doom and stoner riffs that are tighter than some of the scene’s major players. With this second album, Goat Major sound like an act that genuinely means business. Make it past the slightly cheap looking artwork (which, thankfully, at least hasn’t been subjected to the trend for AI slop) and you’re guaranteed a whole world of riff-based entertainment.

September 2026