Hold thy preconceptions at the door, DOPEGOAT are not as
you may think. Most acts associated with ‘Dope’ tend to play swamp heavy sludge
with songs based solely around reefer and drinking, but not this Atalanta,
Georgia, four-piece who offer something completely different.
Having just released their debut self-titled EP (available for free), the band, made up of Adam Clarke, Sam Bielski, Matthew Klem and
William Walker, are dipping their toes into a sonic ocean that not many others
are trying at the moment, and it’s a bravery that pays off and has to be
admired as the EP delivers waves of thought-provoking musical exchanges.
There’s such a varied mix of styles going on here it’s
hard to keep up with the influx of groove metal, jazz, stoner, doom-laden,
goth-like grunge, psychedelic tendencies that these four fine young gentlemen
throw into the mix, constantly leaving you guessing as to which way the wind
will take them next. If you single out the track ‘Troll Hunter’, a 10-minute
epic journey showcasing the last 50 years of rock music, with grave deep doom,
covered under a mist of stoner riffs, all following on from a finger clicking groovy
jazz bass line that at first seems to have no right being there, it showcases
everything the band is trying to do. Even when the band are doing something
completely different, their influences can flow heavily as seen on ‘North Pond
Hermit’ which echoes Melvins-like
madness.
Make sure you check out DOPEGOAT before their debut
full-length implodes the band through one giant headfuck.
