Album review: Hogan’s Goat – Hogan’s Goat

Not only do Hogan’s Goat have a pretty cool name, but the band also has a cool sound to go with it. They have a bit of a Mastodon meets Clutch thing going on which I dig a lot. This album sounds great and is chock full of killer tracks. The band wastes little time in getting into their groove with the dirty sounding Rat Boy, a swaggering tune with a swampy guitar tone and some tasty licks; a fine start indeed. Shit Kicker has a nice bluesy verse and a full-on crashing chorus, but also a nice short interlude full of chugging riffs and rumbling bass lines. Annie Off The Rails is my favourite track, the chorus is catchy as hell and the guitar during the verse demands you nod your head. There is definitely a bit of a 70s rock vibe going on with the album as a whole, from the guitar tone, to the production, everything sounds like it was recorded many years ago and it sounds fucking great!

Over The Palisade opens with some killer guitar before settling into a groove Mastodon would be proud of; with its crooning vocal during the verse and killer chorus, this track is one of the albums best. Next track, If I’m Dead has some real nice slide guitar going on during the intro and verse. That bluesy, southern style that is a staple of the record is in full-swing here and it’s another solid tune. This track also exhibits some spoken word sections which go some way to highlight that Hogan’s Goat are more than simply a one-trick-pony. John Doe and Jack and Jill are also both solid tunes, though perhaps not quite as catchy as what has come before.

As we head toward the end of the album, Elkhorn Mountain sees the band slow things down a little. It isn’t the albums best track in my opinion, but thankfully the band finishes strongly with Drinkin’ With The Priest, which is a sleazy song that features a couple of tempo changes and a real nice guitar solo. It proves to be a fine way to finish things off.

This is more than a solid record from Hogan’s Goat in my opinion. I’ve been on a big stoner, doomy rock trip recently so I was more than happy to give these guys a go too. The bands sound is multi-layered and, as I mentioned earlier, fans of Mastodon and Clutch would do well to check these guys out. They have a real good vocalist, some great songs and the musicianship to back it up.

4/5 air guitars from the Grim Reader.

Thanks to High Road Publicity for sending me a digital copy of this album \m/.

Pick up a copy from here.

Nashville, TN based, Hard Rock Band Hogan’s Goat has released the first single, “Shit Kicker,” off of their debut, self-titled album. Due out July 18th, Hogan’s Goat was self-produced, mixed by Alex Gilson and Nathan Zensen at Gold Cassette and mastered by Tommy Dorsey.

Keep up to date with Hogan’s Goat on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/hogansgoatmusic
https://twitter.com/hogansgoatmusic
https://www.instagram.com/hogansgoatband