Goatmoon: Stella Polaris - Black Metal Album Review

Goatmoon's Stella Polaris feels like an album born from the deep, snowbound forests of Finland, yet destined to break far beyond their shadowy confines. For years, the band has existed as a kvlt mainstay, their raw black metal appreciated mostly by the diehards who prefer their records cloaked in obscurity. But Stella Polaris is something else entirely — a bold, surprising evolution that seems tailor-made to grab the attention of a much wider audience without losing any of the raw, feral energy that defines their sound.

The title, which translates to “polar star,” sets the tone for an album that feels simultaneously grounded in the earth and reaching for something celestial. The opener — a stark, acoustic folk passage — serves as a brief, reflective calm before the storm of “Stella Polaris,” a track that burns with blistering intensity and hooks sharp enough to dig into your memory. Keyboards are peppered throughout the record, but they're used with a deft touch, accentuating the folk and pagan overtones without overshadowing the harshness at its core.

Vocally, Blackgoat Gravedesecrator (a name as evocative as the music itself) delivers a performance steeped in menace and anguish, reminiscent of the best of Mayhem's early (and tumultuous) days. His growls are unrelenting but controlled, leaning into emotional conviction without ever teetering into theatrics. The German band Absurd's influence looms large, particularly on “Wolf Night,” while tracks like “Sonderkommando Nord” weave folk-inspired melodies into the chaos, offering moments of eerie beauty amidst the carnage.

What makes Stella Polaris exceptional is its cohesion. This isn't an album built on standout singles; it's a fully realized journey where every track feels integral to the whole. The balance of ferocity and melody is striking, and while the production is cleaner than the band's earlier work, it enhances rather than detracts from the primal energy.

At its heart, Stella Polaris is an album of contrasts: raw but refined, violent yet hauntingly beautiful, deeply rooted in black metal traditions while pushing those boundaries in compelling ways. For a project helmed entirely by a single creator, its vision feels expansive, even monumental. Comparisons to other Finnish legends such as Satanic Warmaster are, while still cliché, this time completely justified. This is a record that could — and should — earn Goatmoon a place among the modern greats of black metal. If you haven't yet ventured into the Finnish underground, Stella Polaris is the perfect place to start.

Tracklist of the album Stella Polaris (2017) by Goatmoon:

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