Sad Black Goat – Back to the Mother’s Womb

Metalcatto

For years, I’ve been avoiding Depressive Black Metal. Not because it’s too dark or emotionally draining, but because the quality can often be lower than the food you find at a gas station. Still, when I was handed the deeply underground Sad Black Goat and its Freudianly titled Back to the Mother’s Womb, my curiosity got the better of me. The rest of my instincts screamed “danger,” but here we are — diving right in.

So, does this sound like being back in your mother’s guts? Well, yes — if those guts were writhing in pain, anxiety, and existential nausea. This is your typical raw Black Metal: harsh, abrasive, but surprisingly listenable. It’s not pure static — there’s rhythm, tortured screams, and enough structure to keep it from falling apart. The sound is grotesque and suffocating, yet oddly calculated. Thankfully, the album is short, which feels like a blessing in disguise; the ideas here are so unhinged that spending too much time inside this sonic womb might cause lasting psychological damage.

What I genuinely appreciate is the commitment to the noise concept. The womb is, after all, a chaotic, repetitive, and uncertain place — and this record channels that perfectly. Blasting drums, mechanical feedback loops, and dissonant drones create an atmosphere of claustrophobic unrest. You’re trapped in a space where nothing evolves except your own discomfort. There’s an underlying theme of anxiety and prenatal doom, like a metaphorical birth that’s already gone wrong. Conceptually fascinating — but musically, it’s a double-edged sword.

Because while the dedication to atmosphere is admirable, it leaves very little traditional Black Metal to hold onto. Much of Back to the Mother’s Womb leans into industrial ambience and harsh noise, making it more of a psychological experiment than a metal record. My mind wandered more than once, not out of boredom but out of dissociation — which might actually be the point. Still, it’s niche, deeply uncomfortable, and likely unmarketable beyond the most extreme corners of the underground.

If you like your Black Metal strange, suffocating, and profoundly depressing, Sad Black Goat might be the spiritual descent you’re looking for. If by “good” you mean an experience that feels like the slowest and most painful birth imaginable, then yes, this one delivers. Otherwise, it’s best approached with caution — and maybe a therapist on speed dial.

Label: Schaden Collective

Release date: October 27, 2025

Website: https://schadencollective.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-the-mothers-womb

Country: Turkey

Score: Not sure how to score this misery trip!