Powering through a Goatwhore album means awakening a certain sense of liberty and freedom that you’ll only find with black metal. For nearly a decade, the New Orleans-based band’s been able to keep the fire in metal fans’ ears lit thanks to its speedy, rhythmic, and sometimes sludgy guitars. That has never been more true than on Goatwhore’s 2014 album Constricting Rage of the Merciless. The title alone should let you know that the four-set headbangers want fans to shirk all things that bind the soul and tether it to the ground. On tracks like “FBS,” guitarists Sammy Duet and James Harvey start with speed and end with speed, but in between let the guitars come to a count in steady, slow building rhythms. Such a balanced performance draws listeners to the middle of the mosh pit, writhing and pushing, letting out all things that don’t represent being free. It’s not just about how fast the guitars are or how loud you scream, Goatwhore wants you to feel, let go, and have fun. It’s an all ages show, after all. Goatwhore performs with Black Breath, Ringworm, and Theories at 7:30 p.m. at Rock & Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. $15. (202) 388-7625. rockandrollhoteldc.com.