Like the best indie metal releases, Goat Horns self-financed 2001 debut, Voyage to Nowhere, sounds like it was shot straight out of the young players basement; with such minor details as technically perfect production and dexterous instrumental execution casually dismissed in exchange for raging, balls-to-the-wall, youthful metallic euphoria. Led by Jason Decays ragged growls and Brandon Wars "charging rhino" approach to guitar playing, the bands eponymous tracks lumbering doom power chords bring Englands Cathedral to mind, while the more energetic, semi-thrash stomp of "Alcoholic Faith" recalls Celtic Frosts rugged early work, as well as new millennium descendants like Chicagos Lair of the Minotaur. "Eternal Quest for Eternal Happiness," on the other hand, is a seemingly eternal bore, and it takes the short, tidy intensity of "Shattered Dream" to get the Canadian trio back on track in time for another convincingly foreboding doom epic (containing a juicy thrash center) that is the albums title cut. Next track "Wasted Warrior" -- another thrasher -- is neither here nor there (needs more cowbell!), and final number "Doom March" would have been more accurately named "Doom Mosh," but it hardly matters since it barely even qualifies as a song -- more of a rehearsal leftover collage, it seems. When combined with a disappointingly short run time of barely half-an-hour, all these highs and lows ultimately wind up averaging out into a pretty decent, but hardly essential release -- but when theyre fun, Goat Horn are really fun. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Rovi