Courtesy Metal Witch<\/p>\n
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The call of Goathulu is intensifying.<\/p>\n
And if you haven\u2019t heard it yet, the Denver metal maniacs of Goat Hill Massacre<\/a> are on an endless mission to spread the sinister sonus of its decibel-destroying deity.<\/p>\n With new music in the works, first foretold by the latest live single, \u201cDeath Charge,\u201d<\/a> the group is exploring themes of ancient magic and war, Goathulu reaping death and destruction throughout. The new song, recorded at a show and released independently on Valentine\u2019s Day, reflects on Imperial Japan. \u201cIt\u2019s a look at the remaining Japanese soldiers during WWII who were cornered on their endpoint of the island and their final days, working in the theme of our mascot and how that influences war and battle and perspective,\u201d explains vocalist Andre Whitehair Hardyway.<\/p>\n The in-the-works album also features flares of sei\u00f0r, a primordial Norse shamanic practice, and epic Middle Earth throes, courtesy of the macabre minds of Hardyway, bassist Josh Walton, guitarists Joe Wilkins and Josh Cornwell, and drummer Danielle Wilkins.<\/p>\n \u201cJosh was really feeling a Nordic vibe and wanted one themed around sei\u00f0r,\u201d Hardyway says. \u201cAnother gave me really strong melodic death-metal vibes and Battle of the Five Armies from The Hobbit<\/em>. It\u2019s all about taking what feels right and running with it from there.\u201d<\/p>\n While there isn\u2019t a rock-solid release date for Goat Hill Massacre\u2019s fifth full-length yet, the band is planning to play three tracks from it live at Moe\u2019s Original BBQ <\/a>on Saturday, November 1. The all-local gig also includes Bleed The Vain<\/a>, Last Nerve<\/a> and Our Darkest Sin<\/a>.<\/p>\n Courtesy Goat Hill Massacre<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n And don\u2019t worry, Goathulu won\u2019t drive you murderously mad; the mascot is more light-hearted than you may think. \u201cI mean, the running theme for the album \u2014 it\u2019s kind of joke because we\u2019re not black metal \u2014 but it\u2019s \u2018black-metal beach party,\u201d Hardyway shares. \u201cWe\u2019re just having fun with it. Whatever the vibe of the song\u2019s going to be is what it\u2019s going to be. We don\u2019t want to be only death metal or tech or slam. We want to have a wide array in our portfolio and just go have fun with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Originally spawning in 2014, after Joe and Danielle Wilkins moved from Nebraska back to Colorado, Goat Hill Massacre\u2019s been busy behind four albums \u2014 including two in 2023, There Will Be Blood<\/em><\/a> and Aporkalypse Upon Us<\/em><\/a> (see, it\u2019s all in good humor) \u2014 and recently welcomed Cornwell on full-time. Cornwell first appeared with Goat Hill on Aporkalypse Upon Us<\/em>, and his influence is evident. \u201cIt will be a very different feel to what Goat Hill has put out in the past because of his influence,\u201d Hardyway says.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s one of the more skilled ones that we\u2019ve played with. He\u2019s very solid technically. This is his first time getting the freedom to write songs, so this is also an experiment for him in getting to try out new things,\u201d he continues. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely brought a difference of ideas and styles into it. He\u2019s a very solid lead guitar player, which I feel like we might have lacked over the last couple of albums, so I\u2019m very excited to see what the final product looks like having his influence and technical chops in the mix.\u201d<\/p>\n Goat Hill is leveling up its meaty groove-meets-death metal, while planning to book more out-of-state shows where unsuspecting audiences can discover the call of Goathulu in the flesh.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want folks to share in that energy with us and have a good time, even if it\u2019s not moshing, just being able to bang your head or enjoy the music or appreciate the musicality of what we\u2019re doing,\u201d Hardyway concludes.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.westword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/goat-hill-pic-1-copy.jpg?w=1024\")