Stardate 11/28/2024 06:31 

Even though God Dethroned's line-up has changed considerably, as long-standing members guitarist Jens and bassist Beef left, the band led by Henri Sattler (vocals and guitar) is still going strong. Sixth studio album 'The Lair of the White Worm' is tightly and technically very well performed, as new guitarist Isaac Delahaye (ex-Edgecrusher, ex-Forcible etc.) and bassist Henk Zinger fit in perfectly. After hearing this album I'm ready to lift drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek as one of the best drummers I've ever heard.

God Dethroned (GD from now on) can't be put into any metal music genre, except extreme metal. The band have carved their own niche next to the likes of Hypocrisy, Destruction and The Crown. GD have weaved death metal and thrash metal seamlessly together for some time now. While this sounds modern, there's old school stuff nicely included. Brutality is accompanied by fantastic melodies, which should charm any listener immediately. 'Nihilism' pounds a listener into a bloody pulp before a melody passage shoots the song into skies. Probably the best song from the band, ever. 'Sigma Enigma' slows the tempo and grooves like hell. 'Rusty Nails' is a beautiful slow song telling a brutal tale of Jesus on his way to Golgotha. Then comes a real drop in quality, as 'Loyal to the Crown...' has no melodies and the riffs are boring. First five songs are so good, that this drop really hurts. 'The Grey Race' is quite Hypocrisy-esque song and lifts the album back from the ground. 'Salt in Your Wounds' is an okay closer, and lyrics "let's pour some salt in your wounds" play in one's head long after the albums ends. The album doesn't work from start to finish, and from 6th track on it's a mixed bag. Lyrics, by the way, deal with many different subjects; war, gore, history etc.

The Henrik Larsson production at Berno Studio is truly powerful, but also somewhat artificial. Some drum sounds aren't very natural, but some others are. A mixed bag, too, but I can live with it and actually worse drum sounds fit in the whole picture. The kick drums are high in the mix, making a pulverizing effect. The guitars and the bass are fantastic and all their nuances are well audible. The vocals are nothing but brutal throaty growl (not a million miles away from Carcass' Jeff Walker), and many a time multitracked, but they are a trademark and rule. The cover artwork is way too computer-ish, and remembering some older paintings the band have used makes it all even worse. DVD is, once again, a nice extra bit, but nothing special. Quite boring interviews are coupled with cool playing scenes. Watching Mr. van Weesenbeek blasting out with his drum kit dropped my jaw on the floor. One evil motherfucker with drums...

My favourite GD album is 'Bloody Blasphemy' (1998), probably because it was my first touch with the band. The subsequent albums have been more or less unbalanced, but the band's style is such an exciting mixture that the music wins me over easily. Every metal head should give this band a listen or two.

Rating: 7½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
12/30/2004 12:52

Related websites:
Metal Blade Records website :: www.metalblade.com

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God Dethroned
(Netherlands)

album cover
The Lair of the White Worm
1. Nihilism (05:10)
2. Arch Enemy Spain (04:20)
3. Sigma Enigma (04:05)
4. The Lair of the White Worm (03:31)
5. Rusty Nails (06:03)
6. Loyal to the Crown of God Dethroned (03:25)
7. Last Zip of Spit (04:19)
8. The Grey Race (04:10)
9. Salt in Your Wounds (05:03)
= 00:40:06
Metal Blade Records 2004

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