Review Summary: A stellar example of the good side of metalcore.
God Forbid! I first heard about them back in ’01, when they were releasing
Determination. Back then, they were labeled as thrashcore, the term metalcore still being in its inception stages, and they had the gimmick of having – for the most part – African-American members. That alone was not enough to project the band skyward, and I thought God Forbid were just another lame thrashcore band that would disappear soon. I was wrong, and thankfully so.
In subsequent years, the band’s sound shifted somewhat, to fit in with what was “happening” in the music scene. Unlike other similar acts, the change was gradual rather than shameless, consisting basically of an increase of the hardcore influences the band previously carried. This sound was debuted in 2004’s
Gone Forever, and to excellent effect: together with
IV: Constitution of Treason, the album cemented God Forbid’s name in the metalcore scene, and is still regarded as one of the best archetypes of the genre.
Gone Forever consists of nine songs, spread throughout 41 minutes and 41 seconds. The musical genre is very, very melodic metalcore, that threatens to drop out of the genre at any second. In fact, only Byron Stroud’s roaring vocals, the downtuned bass and the (well-placed and rather kick-ass) breakdowns act as a link to metalcore; without these elements, the band would be labeled as straight-out heavy metal or, at beast, melodic thrash. Douglas and Doc Coyle’s guitar harmonies are straight out of the Tipton/Downing school, and some of their solos could have been taken from a Finnish or German power metal album.
Force-Fed and
Living Nightmare have main riffs that wouldn’t be out of place in a The Haunted or Slayer album, and the chorus on
Washed-Out World could have been in a mainstream goth-rock album. Added to all this are frequent – and excellent – atmospheric touches, that often come close to treading post-rock territory. All in all, more than just your usual collection of shouting, clean choruses and breakdowns.
Don’t get me wrong, all these elements
are here. As noted, Byron Stroud has a more than imposing roar, although his screams are a little more jagged than most metalcore vocalists. Doc Coyle provides the clean vocals, and he, too, sounds original, even coming close to Phil Anselmo or Zakk Wylde for a moment on
Soul Engraved. And there are breakdowns. Lots of them. At least one per song. However, these mosh sections differ from most others in one aspect: every single one of them is well placed, well executed and makes sense within the song. In fact, each successive breakdown is huger than the one before it, although the epitome might be the one on
Washed-Out World, which is absolutely humongous.
And since we are on the topic of highlights, this album has a good handful of them. Oddly enough, opener
Force Fed is actually among the weaker songs, serving for little more than to establish the group’s knack for atmospheric sections and their penchant for a catchy chorus. The following two songs fare much better, asserting themselves as instant standouts from the very first listen.
Antihero is an anomaly, in that it completely forgoes clean vocals, mantaining the aggression throughout. Paradoxically, it has one of the most memorable (and instantly ‘screamable’) choruses on the album, as well as the first of many catchphrases the group also shows a knack for creating (
”black, white, and dead all over”). Another, even better one shows up on the next track, lead single
Better Days, and I defy you not to make
”contempt is a lifestyle” your new favorite slogan. Musically, this track is a much more typical and straightforward offering than any of the previous two, but it wins on an excellent chorus and solid musical work.
The best, however, is yet to come. If you’re looking for the best song on the album, look no further than
Washed-Out World. From its quiet intro to the last resounding chord, this is one of the greatest metalcore songs I’ve heard since
My Last Senerade’s chorus first made my jaw drop. All the band’s trappings are here, and turned up to 11: the atmospheres are better than ever, the chorus is awesome and the breakdown, as noted, is colossal and easily the best in the album. Overall, a track that will leave you
Broken, Beat and Scarred the way other, lamer attempts at aggression couldn’t (see what I did there?). The final standout of this album is also its final track.
Judge The Blood is kind of a little brother to
Washed-Out World, presenting the same strengths, but at a lesser level. It does, however, still make for a very enjoyable listen, and clearly belongs in the same group as the other strongest songs on the record.
But
Gone Forever does not thrive solely on its standouts. Songs like
Precious Lie – with its dramatic overtones and great love-song lyrics over an atypical stacatto beat – and the title track itself provide strong backup. All in all,
Gone Forever is but a couple of standouts away from a Superb, or even Classic rating.
Force-Fed and
Living Nightmare are nowhere near as interesting as the other songs, and can even be considered a tad poor (especially the latter). Additionally, there are some minor problems here and there, like the first chorus on
Precious Lie, which comes in far too abruptly and comes across as tacked on.
However, none of this can stop God Forbid’s third album from being considered a must-have for metalcore fans. The album, which boasts the particularity of being able to please even non-metalcore fans, is an undoubtedly strong set of songs, with solid-to-very-good instrumentation and compositive skills. If you love the pioneers of the genre, such as Shadows Fall or pré-Howard Jones Killswitch Engage , you should make God Forbid your new favorite band. And if you don’t like metalcore, this could be a good way into the better part of the genre. Either way, just get it. You won’t be disappointed.
Recommended Tracks
Antihero
Better Days
Washed-Out World
Judge The Blood
