Published: February 25, 2025
"Capricorn Rising" is a conceptual saga that follows a man named Shepherd, who sells his soul to communicate with non-human entities in a desperate quest to solve the world’s growing crises.
Vancouver-based extreme metal outfit Thirteen Goats have officially released their highly anticipated second album, Capricorn Rising, via Exitus Stratagem Records (ExSR). The record, now available on all major streaming platforms, showcases the band’s boundary-pushing blend of progressive death, thrash, and groove metal, delivering an uncompromising sonic experience that fans have been eagerly awaiting.
"I think fans are going to get everything they loved about our first record, only more of it—and more focused,” says Graham K. Miles of Thirteen Goats. “The story we’re telling across these nine tracks takes the listener on a more cohesive journey, but we’ve also thrown in some unexpected musical curveballs that should keep things exciting for returning fans and new audiences alike.”
"Capricorn Rising" is a conceptual saga that follows a man named Shepherd, who sells his soul to communicate with non-human entities in a desperate quest to solve the world’s growing crises. As the narrative unfolds across explosive tracks, Shepherd's journey takes a darker turn, showing how the brute-force methods he adopts to enact radical change ultimately lead him to become the very thing he despises. Themes of environmental devastation, war, and societal collapse are explored with the relentless intensity and technical mastery that the band is known for, while also highlighting the dangerous consequences of extreme actions.
Thirteen Goats’ ability to seamlessly blend subgenres—ranging from thrash and groove metal to black and death metal—has earned them praise from critics and fans alike. Capricorn Rising is already being hailed as a defining moment in the band’s career, featuring standout tracks like “Sign of the Goat,” “Beheading Zoo,” “A Wolf in Shepherd’s Clothing,” and the hard-hitting “Murder Lives in the Heart,” which is accompanied by a powerful music video.
Despite still flying under the radar in the U.S., Thirteen Goats have shared the stage with heavyweights like Cynic, Atheist , and Abysmal Dawn , solidifying their reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the metal scene. The band is set to play alongside even more notable names this year, including Bonded by Blood, Black Pestilence, Art of Attrition, and Celestial Wizard . These high-profile shows, coupled with their genre-bending sound, position Thirteen Goats as a band to watch—poised to break through the underground and earn a spot on every metalhead's radar.
