Goatsnake / Burning Witch 'Split'

Originally released in 2000 on Hydra Head Records, this split CD pairs Goatsnake and Burning Witch, two hugely influential bands from the late-’90s American doom underground.

Goatsnake contribute “Raw Curtains” and a cover of Saint Vitus’ “Burial at Sea,” delivering thick, riff-driven doom anchored by Pete Stahl’s vocals and Greg Anderson’s massive guitar tone. On the other side, Burning Witch slow things down even further with “The Bleeder” and “Communion,” two bleak, minimal tracks built from crushing low-end, vast negative space and Edgy 59’s tortured vocals.

The split also captures a key intersection in the early history of the Southern Lord / Hydra Head universe. Burning Witch featured Stephen O’Malley, while Goatsnake featured Greg Anderson, two musicians who would go on to become central figures in Sunn O))) and modern drone metal.

Four tracks, more than 35 minutes, and an essential document of doom metal becoming slower, stranger and heavier at the turn of the millennium.