Goya – In the Dawn of November

One Listen Review

1st Listen 12 June 25
Reviewed 14 June 25

Blues Funeral Recordings

Released 13 June 25

I first came across Phoenix doom-mongers Goya in 2018, on a Zero Tolerance Magazine cover CD, so when In the Dawn of November dropped in my inbox, I was keen to give it the one listen review treatment, after all, who doesn’t like a bit of genuine doom…. apart from one of the readers of these reviews…

First things first, this is a genuine doom album, no fancy tricks, not trying to step out of the genre with little in the way of ‘ooh, what was that’ about it. It is a 6 track, 40 and ½ minute long doom-fest. If you like doom, chances are this will be your bag.

The title track opens the album. ‘In the Dawn of November’ opens with keen drums followed by a gloriously deep bass that pushes on through the track. With a psychedelic element included, the doomy undertone of

the song make it a very interesting start, complete with a robust run-time of over 8 minutes. This is doom, this is Goya.

‘Cemetery Blues’ follows. Hints of heavyweight doomsters Electric Wizard straddle the album, and is noticeable in this track. The riff is surprisingly catchy and the vocals are clear. Aside from those, the track is enjoyable, but not outstanding.

This actually turns out to the mainstay of the album. Goya have mastered the doom aesthetics. They know how to deliver a robust, crisp-sounding monolithic slab of the genre. They structure the album well, aside from the superfluous instrumental album closer, ‘Comes With the Fall’, with strategically placed shorter tracks (‘Depressive Episode’) serving to split the album up. But at its core, In the Dawn of November is a typical doom album, held back by the restraints of the genre.

That said, a special mention has to go out to perhaps the angriest track I have heard for a good while. ‘Sick of Your Shit’ is a vitriolic punch in somebody’s guts (I wonder who it is about). ‘Acted like a friend, stabbed me in the back, I hope you die’ is not even the meanest line in the song, nor is ‘You think you’re fucking cool, you’re just another piece of shit I despise’. Tell it as it is dudes – tell it as it is.

In the Dawn of November isn’t the greatest doom album you’ll hear – but it is a massive step-forward by Goya. Hopefully, this will be a stepping stone for future greatness, as long as they don’t wait 8 years again for their next album.