God Dethroned presents its latest offering.
In 2024, the Dutch band Henri Sattler (guitar/vocals, ex-Grand Supreme Blood Court), Jeroen Pomper (bass, ex-Icons of Brutality), Dave Meester (guitar, Facelifter, ex-Apophys) and Frank Schilperoort (drums, ex-Grand Supreme Blood Court, ex-Haliphron, ex-Shining) signed with Reigning Phoenix Music for the release of The Judas Paradox, their twelfth album.
The first notes of The Judas Paradox quickly sweep us into a hypnotic darkness, quickly reinforced by furious vocal parts, creating an interesting duality throughout the track, which is also found on Rat Kingdom, where blast meets dark melodies. The abrasive sound and fast drums are perfectly matched by the catchy passages and jerky choruses, before the band settles into a savagery of their own on The Hanged Man, which is again shaded by the hard-working, heady lead parts of the second half. The final returns to pure violence, then Black Heart allows us a moment’s pause with soaring keyboards to present the majestic Asmodeus, where rage and beauty cooperate to create these breathtaking riffs. The rhythmic flow seems never-ending, constantly watering us while encountering a few choruses before abruptly ceasing, leaving Kashmir Princess to take over with a livelier dynamic, particularly on the guitars with their catchy groove. More dissonant elements disrupt the rhythm before the band ignites again for the furious Hubris Anorexia, whose break surprises with its softness, so opposed to its original rage, which returns to accompany us through to The Eye of Providence. The band once again surrounds us with its haunting harmonics, before giving free rein to the violence, not forgetting the melodious guitar work, before Hailing Death takes over, honoring Black Metal’s oppressive sounds. A few choirs join in at times, as well as some relatively gentle leads at the end, before the devastation resumes with Broken Bloodlines, which arrives like a tidal wave, the exact opposite of the final moments of the previous track. The waves roll in, with the occasional soothing section, before the album closes with War Machine, where screaming harmonics join the general tumult, with a slightly martial approach.
God Dethroned shows us a more melodic approach of Black/Death with this new album, daring to use soaring gentle tones. In my opinion, The Judas Paradox is one of the combo’s most diverse albums, and its pace makes it easy to appreciate.
90/100