GOATSNAKE

Rising from the dissolution of stoner/doom pioneers Obsessed amid the genre's most active stretch after Kyuss, Goatsnake helped shape Southern California's deliberate, down-tuned metal community in the final years of the 1990s. Releases appeared on Hydra Head Records, Frank Kozik's influential Man's Ruin imprint, and Southern Lord Records, the latter co-owned by guitarist Greg Anderson, positioning the group as a quintessential example of the era's stoner/doom sound. The band sits two degrees removed from Saint Vitus, with Kyuss bassist Scott Reeder appearing on recordings and Southern Lord emerging to sustain the lineage precisely as California's flagship stoner label Man's Ruin collapsed. Such connections indicate that Goatsnake, though not the foremost Sabbath-inspired act to surface once Kyuss's caravan departed, ranked among the most durable and authentic claimants to the California stoner legacy, true adherents through and through.

Following Obsessed's final breakup in 1996, the rhythm section of bassist Guy Pinhas and drummer Greg Rogers sought a guitarist; a shared contact recommended Greg Anderson, fresh from Seattle noise-rock outfit Engine Kid. Anderson relocated to Los Angeles, where the trio quickly bonded. Once several songs were finished, vocalist Pete Stahl, a veteran of desert sessions with Scream, Wool, and Earthlings?, joined, completing the original Goatsnake lineup. Two 7-inch singles, IV and Man of Light, surfaced in 1998 alongside appearances on various metal compilations, generating underground word-of-mouth that a serious new contender had formed in L.A. The full-length debut, Goatsnake, Vol. I, finally arrived in 1999 on Rise Above, the label run by Cathedral vocalist Lee Dorian. The highly awaited album achieved respectable success within stoner/doom circles, particularly in Europe, where Anderson's weighty riffs complemented Stahl's expressive vocal range.

The band toured Europe behind the debut, sharing stages with Unida, Fatso Jetson, and Electric Wizard. Overseas momentum continued into 2000 with a U.K. run alongside Orange Goblin and Sunn 0))), the dark ambient project Anderson co-led with Burning Witch partner Stephen O'Malley. That same year Pinhas departed for Acid King, replaced by Stuart Dahlquist of Burning Witch. Goatsnake further cemented ties to that band with a split CD on Hydra Head Records, while Southern Lord issued the Dog Days EP. Neither release matched Vol. I's direct impact, and the group offered little live support, hinting at waning momentum.

Any doubts about commitment ended in October when Goatsnake delivered Flower of Disease, their strongest and final album. More intricate, heavier, and melodically developed than prior work, the record served as a conclusive statement. Although the breakup was not formally declared for nearly a year, Dahlquist had already exited by late 2000, and 2001 brought no replacement or touring. Anderson subsequently focused on Sunn 0))), Rampton, and Thorr's Hammer.

The band reconvened in 2004 with bassist Scott Reeder of Kyuss and drummer J.R. Connors of Cave In, recording three new tracks paired with two older cuts for the Trampled Under Hoof EP before again going quiet. The original lineup reunited for a 2010 performance at Roadburn Festival. Activity resumed in 2014 as Anderson, Stahl, Rogers, and bassist Scott Renner of Sonic Medusa and Sourvein tracked Black Age Blues with producer Nick Raskulinecz. Southern Lord released the album in June 2015.