Goat are back, and they haven't changed the formula.
After the runaway success of debut album "World Music," it's no surprise that the Swedish outfit are once again mixing Western prog rock with orchestration from other cultures, in this case a sitar and tabla.
Putting all ambiguity over their background aside (there are claims that the band have been together in different forms for over 40 years, and originated from a Swedish village that participates in voodoo worship -- it's difficult to separate fact from fiction), what made "World Music" great was its simplicity and freshness of sound, and "Hide From The Sun" brings this to the fore once again.
There's a kind of joyful menace to the song, full to the brim with tribal influences - what else would you expect? The recurring riff is swift and syncopated, easy to dance to, if not to sing along to.
The singers are never quite the main attraction of the track, coming in occasionally and merely acting as another riff. Despite this, the harsh quality is intimidating to say the least, and their presence is commanding.
As is often the case with Goat, there is a fantastic epilogue to the track, played out by an echoing sitar, highlighting the infectious hook once more, and providing one last touch of threat.
The doubling up of the sitar with the electric guitar not only adds depth to the track, but does not disturb its genre, fitting in well with what's around it. Overall, the track is succinct, acting as an unruly but glorious fanfare to herald Goat's return.
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