Volbeat G.O.A.T. CD Review
The Danish heavy hitters in Volbeat are locked and loaded, ready to drop their ninth studio album, titled “God of Angels Trust”, or, if you're paying attention to acronyms, simply G.O.A.T. Fitting, right? The album lands on June 6th, and yes, I already preordered it weeks ago. With the buzz thundering like a Viking charging into war, a flaming horn raised high and the scent of conquest in the air, how could I not answer the call?
Now, in classic me-fashion, I avoided listening to any early singles until the promo showed up in my inbox. I wanted a full hit, fresh and unspoiled. And let me tell you: it was worth the wait!
Frontman Michael Poulsen has said this album was about stripping it back, ditching the obsessing over verse-chorus-bridge structures, and just letting it rip. As a fan since the early days, I felt that. The last few records, while solid, started to feel like they were operating off a well-worn template. But this feels like the spark is back, the raw energy, the unpredictability and the swagger.
Let’s talk about singles first:
- “By a Monster’s Hand” is a riff-fueled stomper, channeling that old-school Metallica vibe filtered through Volbeat’s signature swing. It's heavy, hooky, and hits like a sack full of hammers.
- Then comes the absolute bonkers title: “In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom”. I mean, what the actual hell?! That title alone deserves its own Grammy. Sonically, it’s like “Sad Man’s Tongue” met “The Mirror and the Reaper,” threw on a leather jacket, and lit a ritual fire. There’s a dash of Johnny Cash twang, some serious Metal muscle, and when Poulsen belts out that insane title mid-breakdown, I got a hard-on and I believe I saw the Goatlord!
- The third single, “Time Will Heal,” leans into Volbeat’s sentimental side, their heart-on-sleeve, arena-sized soul. It’s a tearjerker in the best way. This one hits hard emotionally, especially if you’ve got personal loss in your story. For me, it brought my late brother right back into the room and it hurt me in the best way it could without upsetting me. That’s the magic that only music can make happen. My brother’s loss looms over me like a fog that I can’t get away from, it’s in everything that I do. This song was a gentle reminder that I’ll be ok.
But let’s get into the deep cuts you haven’t heard:
- “Acid Rain” rides the same emotional wave as “Time Will Heal”, melancholy, cathartic, and lyrically devastating. It’s the kind of song you don’t just hear, you feel it in your bones.
- “Better Be Fueled Than Tamed” is an absolute Boogie-Metal barnburner. It struts and snarls with swagger, like a lost track from “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood”. It’s wild, riffy, and proud of its bad behavior.
- “Demonic Depression” lives up to its name. Nasty riffage, gnarly tone, and a mood that drags you down into the dirt.
- Here’s the bottom line: Volbeat has never made a bad album, but G.O.A.T. might just be their best since “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood.” It’s rawer, more immediate and more alive than the band’s recent releases. This album throws it back to those early days, when they weren’t chasing perfection, they were just playing their guts out, hoping people would get it. And we did.
I was there on that first U.S. tour, tiny venue, barely a crowd, but you could tell even then: these guys were the real deal. Now they’re selling out arenas worldwide, and they’ve earned every single bit of it. Volbeat remains one of the hardest-working, most authentic bands in Metal today. And “God of Angels Trust” might just be the new gospel!