by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

How hard—in quantifiable, empirical, mathematical terms—does Goat Horn rock? “We rock so hard,” states bassist and singer Jason Decay, “that it’s actually heavy metal.”

Indeed. Heavy metal—sorry, “extreme music”—has evolved and diversified dramatically over the past two decades, more so than any other genre of music except perhaps hip hop. The absolute limits of hard, loud, fast and tight have been constantly reestablished, but in the process (for some of us, anyway), the noble, authentic essence of metal has been compromised.

It isn’t just a matter of big hair and bullet belts, demin vests and demon signs, flying Vs and fists in the air—though the Toronto trio offer all that en masse. It’s a matter of melody meeting muscle while staying on message, and the message is battles, babes and beer (these guys don’t carry a two-four to the party, they roll in a keg). Their recent EP Threatening Force is undeniable proof of this.

Right through the ’90s, the terrain originally staked out by Maiden, Priest, Venom and so forth was a lonely place. It’s less so these days. “I’m noticing more bands, recently, playing straight-up metal,” says Decay, “but I’m not so sure that it’s a planned approach. Lots of these kids are like, 16, and think that what we’re doing is something new. There is a pretty big underground network of real metal bands, especially in places like Germany. To us, it’s about the music. We play what we want to hear and don’t care about evolving into something that’s not what we want to hear. There’s enough other people ruining music as it is.”

Not that Goat Horn are above minor adjustments. Heavy metal’s adoption of Satanic imagery once led to all manner of court cases and boycotts. When Goat Horn hoist the pentagram, however, one of its five points is noticeably hacked off. “We don’t give a beer about Satan. The missing horn in our logo is us shitting on the big overuse of the ‘tough Satan’ theme that way too many bands have adopted. Dark imagery can create a nice atmosphere, but I don’t understand buying into those values.”

With Reanimator, APVTH and Ashes or Eden at Saphir
on Saurday, Feb. 4, 8 p.m., $12

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